Generi Corp Inc

Management Report

Table of Contents

A Declaration of Service 1

Executive Summary 5

A Plan of Action: A 21st Century National Service System 12

Core Elements of a 21st Century National Service System 12

Pathways to Engage More Americans in National Service 22

A Talent Pipeline through National Service 25

The Case for National Service 28

National Service to Address National Challenges 33

Conclusion 38

Acknowledgments 38

Endnotes 39 A Declaration of Service

We, the undersigned, endorse the 's Plan of Action to establish a 21st Century National Service System in America that inspires and engages at least one million young adults annually from all socio- economic backgrounds in a demanding year of full-time national service as a civic rite of passage to unleash the energy and idealism of each generation to address our nation’s challenges.

General Stanley McChrystal Michael Brown Leadership Council Chair, The Franklin Project; U.S. Co-Founder and CEO, City Year Army General (Retired); Former Commander, International Security Assistance Force & U.S. Forces Afghanistan Anna Burger Former Secretary-Treasurer, SEIU; Former Chair, Change to Win Chair, Albright Stonebridge Group; Former U.S. Secretary of State & U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Bush Co-Founder and CEO, Global Health Corps

Don Baer Worldwide Chair and CEO, Burson-Marsteller; Former Jean Case White House Director of Strategic Planning and CEO, The Case Foundation; Former Chair, President's Communications Council on Service and Civic Participation

Melody Barnes Ray Chambers Chair, Aspen Forum for Community Solutions and UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Financing of Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund; Vice Provost for the Health Related Millennium Development Goals & for Global Student Leadership Initiatives, New York Malaria; Co-Founder, America's Promise Alliance; Chair, University; Former Director, White House Domestic The MCJ Amelior Foundation Policy Council

AnnMaura Connolly Samuel R. Berger President, Voices for National Service; Chief Strategy Chair, Albright Stonebridge Group; Former National Officer & Executive Vice President, City Year Security Advisor

Scott S. Cowen John Bridgeland President, Tulane University; Former Member, White Co-Chair, The Franklin Project; CEO, Civic Enterprises; House Council for Community Solutions Former Director, White House Domestic Policy Council

1 Richard Danzig Chairman, Center for a New American Security; Former President, Hobart and William Smith Colleges; Former Secretary of the Navy Director, ; Former White House Director of Comunications & Strategic Planning

John J. DiIulio, Jr. Professor of Political Science, University of David Gergen Pennsylvania; Former Director, White House Office of CNN Senior Political Analyst; Director, Harvard Kennedy Faith-Based and Community Initiatives School Center for Public Leadership; Former Senior Advisor to four U.S. Presidents

Bill Drayton CEO & Founder, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; Elliot Gerson Former Assistant Administrator, Environmental Vice President of Policy & Public Programs, The Aspen Protection Agency Institute; American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust

Joshua DuBois Former Director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Columnist, The Washington Post; Former Assistant to Neighborhood Partnerships the President for Policy and Strategic Planning

General Ann Dunwoody Dan Glickman U.S. Army General (Retired); Former Commanding Vice President and Executive Director of Congressional General, U.S. Army Material Command Programs, The ; Senior Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center; Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; Former Member of Congress (Kansas)

Michèle Flournoy Founder & Co-Chair, Center for a New American Security; Former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Rob Gordon Chief Strategy Officer, APX Labs; U.S. Army (Retired); Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy General Jack Gardner U.S. Army Lieutenant General (Retired); Former Deputy Commander, European Command Eric Greitens CEO and Founder, The Mission Continues; U.S. Navy SEAL (Retired) Robert Gates Former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Former Director of Central Intelligence; Former President, Texas A&M University

2 Stephen Hadley Senior Advisor for International Affairs, U.S. Institute of Co-Chair, The Franklin Project; CEO, The Action Tank; Peace; Former National Security Advisor; Former Co-Founder, City Year; Founder, Be the Change Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs

Wendy Kopp Andrew Hauptman Founder & Chair, Teach for America; CEO & Co-Founder, Chairman, Andell, Inc.; Owner and Chairman, Chicago Teach for All Fire Soccer Club; Trustee, City Year

Laura Lauder Mellody Hobson Chair, Franklin Project Service Circle; Venture President, Ariel Investments; Chairman of the Board, Philanthropist, Lauder Family Foundation; Co-Principal, DreamWorks Animation, SKG Lauder Partners, LLC,

Arianna Huffington Mel Martinez President, Chair and Editor-in-Chief, The Huffington Post Chairman, Southeast and Latin America and Vice Chair, JPMorgan Chase; Former U.S. Senator and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Jon Huntsman Former Governor of Utah; Former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and China Zach Maurin Managing Director, Service Nation; Co-Founder ServeNext

Walter Isaacson President and CEO, The Aspen Institute Wes Moore U.S. Army Captain (Retired); Author, The Other Wes Moore; Host of Beyond Belief, Network Benjamin Jealous President and CEO, NAACP; Former Executive Director, National Newspaper Publishers Association; Former Director, U.S. Human Rights Program at Amnesty Eduardo Padron International President, Miami Dade College; Chairman, White House Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

Dirk Kempthorne Former Governor of Idaho; U.S. Senator & Robert Putnam U.S. Secretary of the Interior Professor, Public Policy, Kennedy School of Government

3 W. Taylor Reveley III Timothy Shriver President, College of William and Mary Chairman & CEO, Special Olympics; Chair, Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning

Condoleezza Rice Professor & Former Provost, Stanford University; Former U.S. Secretary of State & National Security Advisor Managing Editor, TIME Magazine; Former CEO, National Constitution Center

Norman B. Rice President & CEO, The Seattle Foundation; Former Mayor Patty Stonesifer of Seattle; Former Member, White House Council for CEO, Martha's Table; Former CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Community Solutions Foundation; Former Chair, White House Council for Community Solutions

Shirley Sagawa Senior Policy Advisor, America Forward; Senior Fellow, Kerry Sullivan Center for American Progress President, Charitable Foundation

Donna Shalala Laurie Tisch President, University of Miami; Former U.S. Secretary of President, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund; Trustee, The Health and Human Services; Returned Peace Corps Aspen Institute Volunteer

Laysha Ward Patty Shinseki President, Target Community Relations; Board Chair, Board of Advisors, White House Joining Forces Initiative; Corporation for National and Community Service Board of Directors, Military Child Coalition

Harris Wofford Bill Shore Senior Advisor, The Franklin Project; Former U.S. Founder & CEO, Share Our Strength Senator; Former CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service; Former President, Bryn Mawr College; Associate Director, Peace Corps; Civil Rights Advisor to President Kennedy

4 Executive Summary

A New American Rite of Passage America needs universal national service. We need America’s youth to serve their country to help solve our nation’s most pressing challenges and, in sharing the hardship and fulfillment that only service can offer, bind themselves to one another and to the nation.

Through the Franklin Project, leaders across all sectors have joined together to achieve this goal. Specifically, we aim to make a year or more of full-time national service a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans. We have crafted a proposal for a 21st Century National Service System that will offer at least one million full-time civilian national service opportunities for young adults ages 18-28 every year, on par with the more than one million Americans who serve on active duty in our Armed Forces.

Service makes citizens. In every generation, Americans who have undertaken national service—in military and civilian capacities—have emerged more connected to their generation and more invested in their country. Service compels young people out of their comfort zones and cultivates in them a sense of duty and civic responsibility. Making national service a universal expectation—a new American rite of passage—will renew and redefine for this generation the role of citizens in our democracy. Many of those who serve will discover within themselves unsuspected resources of leadership and will emerge with a life-long commitment to their communities and country.

Service shaped the Greatest Generation. The earliest example of large-scale, full-time civilian national service— the Civilian Conservation Corps—mobilized three million young, unemployed men to improve our public lands during the Great Depression. More than 12 percent of Americans went on to serve in the Second World War. In the unprecedented prosperity that followed the war, the Greatest Generation served more, joined organizations more, gave more in charitable contributions, attended church, school and community activities more, and were active neighbors helping those in need more than the generations preceding and following them. During those same post-war years in which our civic stocks rose, Americans voted more, entered public service in greater numbers, and enjoyed much lower levels of political polarization than we see now.1

Since that time, we have minimized both the expectation and opportunities to serve the nation. Even as highly effective and enduring efforts—such as the Peace Corps, VISTA, and AmeriCorps—have sprouted since the Second World War, our opportunities for national service have dangerously narrowed. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan represented the first time in history that less than one half of one percent of our population served on active duty during wartime.2 With limited opportunities for full-time service, the rising Millennial Generation seeks additional outlets for their patriotism, but are perennially stymied: in recent years, there were 582,000 applications for only 80,000 annual AmeriCorps positions and 150,000 requests for applications for the 4,000 annual positions in the Peace Corps.3 This gap represents wasted democratic energy and squandered idealism. But it also indicates that a renewed emphasis on national service could yield dramatic results.

The enormity of our national challenges—and the need to bind rising generations together and to the nation— demands we enable all young Americans to serve. Doing so requires dramatically expanding civilian national service opportunities—a tall task, but one that the healthy, growing private and non-profit sectors can and must meet creatively in partnership with government. In an era of austerity, government cannot shoulder this challenge alone. While the fiscal constraints of our government are real, America is too big, and our challenges too expansive, for small ideas.

It is time, once again, for all young Americans to feel it is their duty to serve their country. Through challenging, impactful service, they will develop into full citizens committed to each other and to strengthening our nation.

5 Executive Summary

A 21st Century National Service System

A 21st Century National Service System—wherein universal national service becomes a new American rite of passage and helps confront our nation’s pressing problems—will:

• Link military and civilian service as two sides of the same coin; • Challenge all young adults (ages 18 to 28) to give a year or more of full-time service to their country; • Establish national service corps, building on those proposed in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, that will unite each generation in common purpose through service; • Strengthen and expand the existing infrastructure of the Peace Corps, VISTA, AmeriCorps, and other national service efforts; • Call upon the private sector, industry groups, and professional associations to take the lead in supporting and expanding national service corps within their fields; • Partner with the growing non-profit infrastructure—in colleges, community organizations and faith- based institutions—and leverage new technologies to embed full-time national service across our society; and • Ask all federal departments and agencies to use civilian national service members to help accomplish their missions.

The centerpiece of the 21st Century National Service System is the mobilization of young people to serve full-time in national service corps and the linkage of military and civilian service in creative new ways. To accelerate the creation of such a system, we propose:

At 18, every American would receive information on options to serve in one of the five branches of the Armed Forces or in a number of civilian national service corps, helping to improve recruitment for military and civilian national service.

Young adults would serve full-time in national service corps. The civilian national service corps would be in areas where full-time civilian national service has been shown to make a significant difference. Young people may apply to serve in any one of a number of national service corps through national service organizations that bring together people of different backgrounds and zip codes to be trained and work together in solving pressing public problems. The national service corps would include, but not be limited to:

• Education Corps: to mobilize youth to serve in our lowest-performing schools, while working to ensure that every young child receives the high-quality education they need to succeed in the 21st century;

• Conservation Corps: to help restore the health of America’s endangered parks and rivers and engage youth in other conservation and clean energy efforts;

• Opportunity Corps: to support programs to empower low-income Americans and to engage youth disconnected from school and work in full-time national service;

• Health and Nutrition Corps: to educate young people on the importance of good nutrition, physical activity, and preventative care, and to enhance the quality of life, address the childhood hunger problem, and lower health care costs;

6 Executive Summary

• Veterans Corps: to recognize, support, and utilize veterans as civic assets and leaders through civilian national service by and for veterans and to expand opportunites for civilian national service members to support veterans and military families;

• Professional Corps: to enable young lawyers, health care professionals, financial experts, technology specialists, and other professionals to unleash their talents to help address public problems and help those in need; and

• International Service Corps: to provide opportunities to serve to help strengthen education, health, the environment, information technology, and small business creation around the world.

The system builds on the existing infrastructure as a strong foundation in which the public and private sectors can invest. It challenges the private sector to emerge with new or expanded national service opportunities within various professions, leverages 21st century technology in creative ways, and launches new ideas and efforts so that national service can grow at the local, state, and national levels. In addition to the national service corps, we suggest the following key elements to create more opportunities for full-time national service:

• Developing new corps within federal departments and agencies that mobilize citizens through national service to solve public problems at lower cost to the taxpayer, building on the progress of three new corps — FEMA Corps, School Turnaround AmeriCorps and STEM AmeriCorps — established in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency charged with supporting national service in America.

• Launching a National Service Certification System, a private-public partnership that leverages technology to enable thousands of nonprofits, colleges, public agencies, and social enterprises to create full-time national service positions with support from the private and public sectors, making it easy for those who want to serve full-time to find opportunities. In addition to the national service corps contemplated above, young people may apply to serve full-time in nonprofits, colleges and universities, and social enterprises that become certified as national service organizations by meeting certain criteria. These criteria include creating full-time national service positions, defining the service work they will perform, providing a living allowance, ensuring to the extent practicable they will maximize diversity across geography, race, ethnicity and income; providing training, and articulating clear outcomes for the service of participants.

• Providing flexibility within the GI Bill to permit veterans to use a portion of their existing benefits to perform up to a year of civilian national service to help address problems in communities and improve more veterans’ transitions back home. This flexibility will enable more veterans to participate in Veterans Corps programs.

• Expanding existing national service programs by:

1) Fully implementing the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which authorizes 250,000 annual AmeriCorps positions by 2017 and establishes various corps aligned with the national service corps described above. The Congress and the Administration should start by increasing AmeriCorps to 100,000 participants next year; and

2) Fulfilling the promise of international service, by expanding the Peace Corps, Volunteers for Prosperity, and proposed Global Service Fellowships to provide a total of 100,000 international service positions each year by 2020.

7 Executive Summary

• Enlisting mayors, governors, and local leaders to swear in national service members, recognize those who serve — as more than 800 mayors did during the first annual Mayors’ Day of Recognition — and build connections across programs so that more members have the opportunity to serve alongside individuals from diverse backgrounds.

• Developing dedicated public and private revenue streams to support and expand national service corps and national service opportunities.

• Building multiple pathways to national service, including a “bridge year” of service before college or career; and a year of service to help reconnect disconnected youth to school and work.

• Building a talent pipeline and incentives through national service by engaging employers and institutions of higher education to recognize and reward full-time national service participants; developing a Public Service Academy through a consortium of colleges and universities and the National Center for Service and Innovative Leadership to help develop leaders at every level; and influencing the service habits of generations of young people so that they continue to serve in their “encore years.” National Service to Address National Challenges

Many leaders, both military and civilian, and across the political spectrum, have recognized the virtues of full-time national service as a rite of passage for young Americans and a way to foster leadership, teamwork, and understanding of people from other backgrounds. National service is also a powerful means to solve public problems with our best assets – Americans using their time, talents, and entrepreneurial skills to meet challenges on the ground in local communities. Here are some examples of significant national challenges that national service can help address; there are many others:

• Providing children a high quality education and addressing the high school dropout epidemic. Numerous national service programs, including Teach for America, City Year, Citizen Schools, Jumpstart, and Communities in Schools, are demonstrating the power of national service to educate children of all ages, from preschool to college. The high school dropout epidemic is a fixable problem: nearly half of America's dropouts come from more than 2,000 of America's lowest-performing high schools.4

While research shows that certain early warning indicators — attendance, behavior and course performance in reading and math — are highly predictive of eventual dropout, they can be improved by national service efforts to help keep students on track. With 120,000 national service members working across our lowest-performing schools as teachers, mentors, tutors, and near-peer role models, national service can help keep far more students on track to graduate high school and enter and complete college.

• Addressing endangered public and tribal lands and waterways. Our nation's public and tribal lands, waterways and open spaces — from Yellowstone National Park to the Congress Heights Playground in Anacostia, D.C. — and the many individual, community, and societal benefits they provide, are increasingly becoming inaccessible and unavailable to millions of Americans. Through President Franklin Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, three million young, unemployed men were mobilized over a decade to plant three billion trees, build 800 parks, and provide agricultural drainage and prevent soil erosion on 84 million acres of public lands.

Efforts are underway with public water and land management agencies, The Corps Network, and other service and conservation programs to create a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps that would engage 100,000 members each year to address the backlog of requested projects on our public lands and waterways.

8 Executive Summary

• Re-integrating veterans into civilian life. Over the next five years, one million veterans will return home to join the two million veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their rates of unemployment, homelessness, health issues, substance abuse, relationship problems, and suicide often exceed rates in the adult population. Research shows that those veterans who perform civilian service have better transitions home than those who do not.5

National service can engage both veterans and civilians in helping to re-integrate veterans, as demonstrated by programs such as VetCorps in Washington State, The Mission Continues, and Team Rubicon. Efforts are underway to engage at least 50,000 returning veterans in national service and another 50,000 civilians could be engaged in national service to help veterans and military families.

• Helping to end childhood hunger. More than 16 million American children live in households that are food insecure, meaning that they struggle to put food on the table or provide adequate nutrition to maintain healthy lives.6

National service, through programs like Food Corps, can help the nation’s schools end childhood hunger by providing the necessary business planning, service planning, and marketing around the School Lunch Program and other child nutrition programs. It can include partnerships with organizations like Share Our Strength and community and faith-based institutions to address the summer hunger problem when schools are not in session. We estimate that every school could be engaged in such an effort with approximately 25,000 full-time national service members.

• Helping Opportunity Youth and addressing poverty. More than 6.7 million young people, ages 16-24, are out of school and out of work, costing taxpayers more than $93 billion per year.7 While these youth face significant life challenges, most start out with big dreams and remain confident or hopeful that they can achieve their goals, most are ready to accept responsibility for their futures, and most are looking to reconnect to school, work and service.

Building on the success of models like YouthBuild, Public Allies and service and conservation corps across the country, national service opportunities should be provided for tens of thousands of these disconnected youth — called Opportunity Youth because of the potential they represent — to serve their communities, while reconnecting to school and building skills for work and active duty citizenship. Other successful national service models such as LIFT are mobilizing young people to empower low-income Americans to move out of poverty. Various professional corps should also be created or expanded, providing legal, financial, medical and other services to the poor, vulnerable, and needy.

• Improving the health of Americans. Chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, and their underlying causes such as obesity and tobacco use, affect more than 130 million Americans – nearly half the population – and account for 75 percent of U.S. health care spending, or $1.5 trillion annually.8

National service programs such as Community Health Corps can help medically underserved children and families gain access to health care, manage chronic illnesses, and improve overall health. Coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is essential to ensure national service participants are aligned with agency-wide initiatives and delivering on system-wide impacts that are already being tracked and measured. Benchmarks for deploying national service participants to help underserved children and families meet their health care needs will be established.

9 Executive Summary

Building the Case for Large-Scale National Service

Some have criticized investments in service as “paying volunteers” or performing functions best left to individual initiative without support from government. At the same time, leaders from all sectors and political parties have expressed strong interest in large-scale national service, and in some cases, favoring even mandatory national service.

To understand the attitudes and beliefs of American voters, a nationally representative survey of 1,002 registered voters was conducted in March 2013 to test certain ideas relating to national service, the public’s understanding of it, and various policies and ideas that the Franklin Project is developing. Overall, the results demonstrate that voters strongly support national service.9 The findings include:

• Four in five voters support voluntary national service in which people of all ages would be given opportunities to serve America in a military or in a civilian capacity for one year and receive a living allowance and education award. Support is high across all subgroups: 88 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of Independents, and 74 percent of Republicans support voluntary national service.

• While solid support exists for voluntary national service, with 80 percent in support, 71 percent of voters oppose (and 52 percent strongly oppose) a system of mandatory national service.

• Voters strongly believe national service would benefit the country by:

• Assisting military families and veterans in adjusting back into civilian life (93 percent) • Mentoring/tutoring students in low-performing schools to keep them on track (91 percent) • Helping communities prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters (91 percent) • Cleaning up rivers, parks, and blighted public areas (91 percent) • Providing job training & career advice to low-income Americans (90 percent)

• When told that more than 600,000 Americans apply to programs such as AmeriCorps and Peace Corps, but more than half a million people are turned away because of a lack of positions, 76 percent of voters say increasing public funding to enable more Americans to serve would be worth it.

• Strong majorities of voters support the policy proposals highlighted in this plan:

• Seventy-nine percent support creating a system modeled on the Civilian Conservation Corps by setting up programs focusing on specific needs, such as an Education Corps to help students, a Health Corps to expand access to health services, a Green Corps to clean up rivers, parks, and blighted areas, and a Rapid-Response Reserve Corps to respond to local and national disasters;

• Seventy-eight percent support amending the current Selective Service System so that every American -- both men and women –- age 18 or older registers and receives information about opportunities to serve in the military or in a civilian national service capacity;

• Seventy-five percent support encouraging nonprofit organizations, colleges, universities, and faith-based institutions to join a national service system by offering positions for Americans to serve for a year through their respective organizations;

10 Executive Summary

• Seventy-four percent support creating a bridge year for service, in which young adults would complete a full year of national service between high school and college or between college and work;

• Seventy-one percent support amending the GI Bill to permit veterans to use a portion of their GI benefits to support their performing a full year of civilian national service; and

• Fifty-nine percent support creating a public service academy modeled after military academies to encourage more civic leaders by educating and training people for public service. Full-Time National Service is a Good Return on Investment

A recent study by Columbia University10 commissioned by the Franklin Project and Voices for National Service shows that national service programs generate a high return on investment that improves communities and develops the next generation of leaders:

• The economic benefits of national service for youth are nearly four times greater than the costs of providing these programs. Programs for seniors also yield high returns that significantly exceed their costs.

• National service is an investment – building human and social capital that lasts into the future. National service programs are vital in giving young people productive competencies, human capital, and social skills that will persist into adulthood.

• National service yields a high return both for the participant and for society. Using national data, the study calculates the total costs -- including public and private funds – of providing national service programs for youth and for seniors -- and the full economic benefits of these programs, including both the value of the services provided and the longer-term value to the participants, to taxpayers, and to society.

• The study calculates that, as national service programs increase in scale, their average cost falls but their average benefit rises. The result is that programs are likely to have even higher returns if they enroll more participants. With one million national service members, the benefits are 4.5 times greater than the costs. Next Steps

At the 21st Century National Service Summit in Aspen, Colorado in June 2013, the Leadership Council of the Franklin Project will release this Plan of Action and work to secure commitments to implement it. As we move toward the September 11th National Day of Service and Rememberance, the Franklin Project, working with ServiceNation, Voices for National Service, the Milliennial Working Group, and others will build grassroots support for the plan, including among veterans as we approach Veterans Day. Some components of the plan are moving forward thanks to the work of many partners and allies. Other parts of the plan are being developed and built.

The Franklin Project envisions an America where all young people are challenged and provided the opportunity to serve and will be drawing on leaders and citizens from every sector to realize the promise of a new American rite of passage.

11 A Plan of Action: A 21st Century National Service System

The following pages include a detailed proposal for a 21st Century National Service System, an overview of the case for a large-scale national service system, and a description of how such a system can help address critical national challenges.

America needs universal national service — a rite of communities. The national service corps can include passage for all young Americans to help solve our but are not limited to: nation’s most pressing challenges and bind themselves to one another and the nation.11 We propose building a • Education Corps mobilizing young adults to serve comprehensive 21st Century National Service System in our lowest performing schools to teach, mentor, that challenges all young adults to serve the country in tutor, and serve as near-peer role models to keep the military or in civilian national service. students in school and on track to graduate from high school and go to college, addressing Our proposal will provide at least one million full-time America’s high school dropout epidemic and civilian national service opportunities for young adults working to ensure that every young child receives ages 18-28 every year, on par with the more than one the high quality education they need to succeed in million Americans who serve on active duty in our the 21st century; Armed Forces. We will do this by increasing the scale of proven and high performing national service models, • Conservation Corps restoring the health of developing new corps, and supporting creative America’s endangered parks and rivers as we initiatives by bringing many nonprofit organizations into move toward the Centennial of the National Park the new system. Service in August 2016, and engaging youth in energy retrofitting and other conservation and Core Elements of a 21st Century clean energy efforts;

National Service System • Opportunity Corps supporting programs to Young Adults in National Service empower low-income Americans, and also engaging youth disconnected from school and At 18, every American would receive information on work in national service while they reconnect to options to serve in one of the five branches of the school, get on a path to earn a degree, and build Armed Forces or in a number of civilian national their skills for productive employment; various service corps, helping to improve recruitment for professional corps, including Legal Services, military and civilian national service. The civilian Financial Services and Digital Services will be an national service corps would focus on national important piece of this corps; challenges where such service can make a significant • Health and Nutrition Corps educating young difference. Young people may apply to serve in any people on the importance of good nutrition, one of a number of national service corps through physical activity, and preventative care to enhance national service organizations that bring together the quality of life and lower health care costs; people of different backgrounds and communities to be trained and work together in solving pressing public • Veterans Corps recognizing and utilizing veterans problems and develop leaders from within as civic assets and leaders also utilize civilian

12 A Plan of Action

national service members to help meet the needs In all of these corps, there is an opportunity for of veterans and military families. National service expansion to engage more recent college and graduate by and for veterans will improve their transitions school graduates and young professionals in full-time home and can also support veterans who are national service. This will require identification of the having challenges, such as unemployment, areas where professional corps can have the greatest poverty, homelessness, PTSD, and other issues impact and where there is strong support from re-integrating into community life; and employers, professional associations, or trade associations, and of higher education institutions. • International Service Corps providing opportunities to serve to help strengthen National Service Across Federal and education, health, the environment, information State Agencies technology, small business creation, and more in countries around the world. America has always relied upon its citizens to help meet community needs. Now, in times of fiscal restraint Professional Corps and limited resources, it is more important than ever that federal and state governments embrace cost- We propose expanding and creating new professional efficient strategies that reduce bureaucratic barriers, national service corps that engage young professionals encourage cross-agency collaborations, and involve in a defined period of national service and use their citizens more effectively by utilizing nonprofit, public, unique skills and training to help address a specific and private sector expertise. challenge. These professional corps can engage young people early in their careers to address critical The Corporation for National and Community Service is needs in the community, build a strong talent pipeline, a driving force for national service, providing and strengthen the public purposes of the professions leadership, resources, coordination, focus, and themselves. accountability for these efforts. For nearly two decades, it has worked with thousands of local Building off of and learning from existing models, we partners to improve lives, expand economic propose working with the private sector and opportunity, and engage Americans in solving professional associations to create additional problems in their communities. professional corps, such as: Other federal agencies — including the Federal • Justice Corps: Complementing Equal Justice Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Works, Justice Corps could work to address the Department of Education, the Department of the “justice gap” – the 50 percent of those who seek Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the legal services and are turned away – by enabling Department of Health and Human Services — and the paralegals and lawyers to provide law-related help National Guard are examining how they can further to people in need; engage citizens, nonprofits, and the private sector to • Financial Services Corps: Financial Service help implement their key programs. They are at Corps could provide assistance with banking, different stages in launching partnerships with the personal finance, and financial literacy to low- Corporation to effectively use national service income Americans; and, members to meet their goals.

• Digital Services Corps: Digital Services Corps The FEMA Corps is an innovative partnership between could provide training and help with computers, FEMA and the Corporation for National and telecommunications, and digital literacy. Community Service's AmeriCorps National Civilian

13 A Plan of Action

Snapshot PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL SERVICE CORPS IN ACTION

Privately and publicly supported professional corps exist today around the country in a variety of sectors. The models of professional corps that could be expanded with private and public support and made available to more young professionals include:

• Medical Reserve Corps: The Medical Reserve Corps mobilizes medical and public health professionals to respond to natural disasters and emergencies. These service members assist communities nationwide during emergencies and in ongoing efforts in public health;

• NURSE Corps: NURSE Corps helps build healthier communities in urban and rural areas by supporting nurses and nursing students who commit to a 2-year term of service;

• Teach for America: Teach for America, which is also an AmeriCorps program, recruits and places high- achieving recent college graduates and professionals in teaching positions for two years in urban and rural communities throughout the ;

• Code for America: Code for America places talented web developers, designers, and entrepreneurs into a year of public service in forward-thinking cities working to better leverage technology and engage the community;

• Fuse Corps: Fuse Corps provides opportunities for entrepreneurial professionals to spend a year helping governors, mayors, and community leaders across America drive social change;

• BizCorps: BizCorps places graduates of top American business schools with entrepreneurs in targeted emerging and frontier markets for a year of service to help those businesses develop and execute business plans;

• Corporate Service Corps: Corporate Service Corps empowers IBM employees as global citizens by sending groups of individuals from different countries with a range of skills to an emerging market for four- week community-based assignments; and

• Equal Justice Works: Equal Justice Works, which is also an AmeriCorps program, funds hundreds of public interest attorneys each year to close the justice gap on issues such as foreclosure, community economic development, immigration, civil rights, homelessness, access to health care, and domestic violence.

Community Corps, which will engage 1,600 FEMA and the Corporation that will support a cadre of Corps members annually by 2014 solely devoted to national service members in persistently low-achieving disaster response and recovery. This will enhance the schools. School Turnaround AmeriCorps will address government’s disaster capabilities, increasing the the acute need for additional support to ensure proper reliability and diversity of the disaster workforce, implementation of School Improvement Grant reforms. promoting an ethic of service, expanding education and The new STEM AmeriCorps Program, a partnership economic opportunity for young people, and achieving between the National Science Foundation and the significant cost savings for the American taxpayer. Corporation, as well as private sector partners, is also FEMA expects that when the program is at full scale, a new multi-year initiative to place hundreds of and in an average disaster year, it will achieve cost AmeriCorps members in nonprofits to mobilize science, savings of approximately $60 million per year.12 technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals to inspire young people to excel in STEM The School Turnaround AmeriCorps Program is a new education. partnership between the U.S. Department of Education

14 A Plan of Action

The Corporation for National and Community Service • Student Veterans: Building on the success of the and Voices for National Service have been leading State of Washington’s VetCorps program, a efforts to expand department and agency corps over partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans the last several years. Affairs and the Corporation for National and Community Service, national service Veteran A Presidential Executive Order for Federal “Navigators” can provide peer-to-peer support in Agencies to Engage National Service Members colleges across the U.S. where veterans are enrolled and using the G.I. Bill. We propose that the President issue an Executive Order calling on all federal departments and agencies • YouthBuild: The U.S. Department of Labor is the to examine how they can develop additional innovative primary supporter of YouthBuild in which national partnerships that engage national service members in service members, many of whom are AmeriCorps achieving their missions. Governors, mayors, and members and most of whom are opportunity youth, other local leaders should also explore opportunities to gain valuable work skills while building and expand national service through state and local rehabilitating homes for low-income Americans. government agencies. This successful program should be expanded to meet the growing demand for youth who want to There are many potential partnerships that can be serve and communities that want YouthBuild forged that use the Corporation’s expertise to run a programs. rigorous grant competition and provide grant oversight 13 to help meet state and local priorities. Below are • Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Health and several examples of corps that could emerge as a Human Services can use its waiver authority under result of the Executive Order and increased the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families interagency cooperation: (TANF) program to encourage states to support national service as a strategy to help families • Early Childhood Education: In collaboration with achieve financial stability. the U.S. Department of Education and/or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, • Health: There are many programs and initiatives national service members and community-based within the U.S. Department of Health and Human organizations can work in public schools, Head Services where an interagency partnership with the Start centers, community and faith-based centers, Corporation for National and Community Service and other settings that mobilize and train could help in the delivery of programs, improving community members — from college students to the health and well-being of all Americans at a time older adults — to support early education of historic health care reform. opportunities for America’s youth. • School Food: In partnership with the U.S. st • 21 Century Conservation: In partnership with Department of Agriculture and the National School public and land and water management agencies, Lunch Program, and building on the work of Share national service members, including youth and Our Strength and the success of FoodCorps, veterans, can help protect, restore, and enhance national service participants can be placed in high- America’s public and tribal lands and waterways. poverty schools to help end childhood hunger by The U.S. Department of the Interior is leading this increasing the capacity of schools to take initiative with the participation of seven federal advantage of existing mandatory federal nutrition agencies. programs.

15 A Plan of Action

A 21st Century National Service members, a technology-enabled system that is open to Certification System any public agency, tax-exempt nonprofit organization that files with the IRS, or recognized social enterprise While we support the full-scale implementation of the could lead to more national service organizations and programs authorized in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve hundreds of thousands more service opportunities. America Act and the growth of the Peace Corps, we Partners at the state and local levels, including the know we cannot create a large-scale national service governor-appointed state service commissions, Cities system for the 21st Century without additional private of Service Mayors, local United Ways, and other and public sector investment and innovation. Through institutions could play critical roles in identifying new partnerships with higher education, corporations, organizations within states and communities that could philanthropy, and additional federal, state, and local apply to be certified as national service organizations. agencies, we can build on the existing infrastructure and enable national service to grow well beyond what This broader system will enable more individuals to was authorized in the Serve America Act. In a sense, serve, more organizations to offer positions, rewards we need to democratize national service and ignite for those who serve, a diversified funding base, and more non-profit institutions across America to create more information for those searching for positions. It full-time opportunities for more Americans to serve. will connect the growing number of full-time service positions offered by social entrepreneurs, innovative We propose a private-public partnership to develop a nonprofits, and higher education institutions with new 21st Century National Service Certification System federally-funded national service opportunities. that builds on the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, VISTA, Importantly, such a platform will make it possible to and other federal national service programs, but build a stronger society and a renewed ethic of service importantly, includes a larger set of organizations that through common experiences. would apply for and be recognized for offering national service positions. This technology platform would incorporate:

This system would be technology-enabled and funded • Hundreds of thousands of searchable national through private and public means. In addition to the service opportunities on a system similar to various national service corps contemplated above, Monster.com; young people may apply to serve full-time in nonprofits, • A streamlined system to approve positions colleges and universities, and social enterprises that incorporating self-assessment, spot checks, and become certified as national service organizations by peer review, comparable to Kiva’s system to meeting certain criteria. All of the national service approve micro-investment organizations; corps, department and agency corps, and professional • Diverse funding, including crowd-sourced corps can be connected to the broader national service Kickstarter-style funding and sponsored positions system through the national service certification similar to private scholarships; system. Special designations can be made showing which national service programs across the system are • A quality-control system with user ratings similar to part of the “Education Corps,” “Conservation Corps,” or eBay, Yelp, and Amazon, from corps members, other national service corps. beneficiaries, community members, and sponsors; • Incentives and benefits generated from public and While there are thousands of nonprofit organizations private sources similar to credit card reward that have engaged and are engaging AmeriCorps programs and AARP benefits; and

16 A Plan of Action

• Robust marketing to young people, students, and backgrounds. They should also adopt and accept the “Opportunity Youth” candidates through social AmeriCorps rules on prohibited activities, including media. advocacy, political activity, or proselytization while serving, and prevent the displacement of paid This platform would be available to existing employees. AmeriCorps programs and the Peace Corps, along with a new category of certified organizations and positions To distinguish a national service position from a regular — programs that meet quality standards established by job, the sponsoring organization should be asked to: the Corporation for National and Community Service, 1) specify a full-time or full-time equivalent term of but are funded through other means. This new service for the national service position that engages category would, in most cases, be managed and led by participants in direct service or capacity building; 2) organizations independent of the federal government. identify how it will arrange for national service participants to be sworn in and graduate as a class Other programs that could register through the site belonging to the Civilian National Service Network might include: across the United States; 3) provide a minimum living allowance, which could be waived by the participant; • Professional corps sponsored by businesses, 4) ensure, to the extent practicable, that they will foundations, and philanthropic individuals; maximize diversity across geography, race, ethnicity • Youth corps supported by state and local sources; and income or build leadership from within diverse • Programs with goals similar to AmeriCorps that do communities; 5) provide orientation, training, not meet all of its requirements; supervision, and mentoring to national service participants; 6) address the safety and security of • Programs that place individuals outside of the national service participants and those they serve; United States; 7) articulate clearly defined outcomes for the service of • Higher education-sponsored fellowships for social participants; 8) provide support to participants as they entrepreneurs or other national or public service; transition out of the program and into school or work; and 9) enable national service participants to be • Programs sponsored by recognized social recognized for their service. enterprises; and

• Bridge year programs for youth between high In addition, all participants in this overall civilian school and college or college and career. national service system would be considered part of the same "class" depending upon the year in which This system would be open only to nonprofit 501(c)3 they finished their service — thus we would have the organizations, public agencies, or recognized social civilian national service class of 2014, 2015, 2016, etc. enterprises (such as certified B Corps or incorporated As members of the same class, service participants L3Cs or benefit corporations) offering full-time positions would have access to common trainings on-line, would that address unmet needs in the community. These meet other national service participants in their positions should address identified challenges, engage community, and be part of a larger civilian national corps members in direct service or service that will service class across the United States, decreasing build the capacity of direct service organizations, have program costs through economies of scale. In a positive impact on the server, and strengthen civic addition, universities and graduate institutions should ties by connecting corps members to other national be encouraged to provide recognition and rewards for service participants, including those from other anyone who has performed at least a year of full-time

17 A Plan of Action national service and employers should be encouraged dissemination of information on national service to give hiring preferences to these dedicated citizens opportunities to all 18 to 28 year olds, and expanded as well. ”bridge year” opportunities, which are discussed later in this plan. The platform could be created without Ideally, every person who engages in a “service year” legislation, with private grants, and ultimately become would have the chance to serve alongside individuals self-sustaining through modest registration fees and from different backgrounds. These shared sponsorships. experiences will help build a stronger American community. These connections can be built within National service in the 21st century ought to be a major programs that are internally diverse, or across tool to solve problems and provide opportunities for programs that are more targeted. Mayors, governors, Americans to come together while improving their own and local leaders can play the role of convening lives. A national system to certify “service year” members across programs for swearing-in positions can enable America to realize that potential. ceremonies, joint service projects, trainings, and recognition. Special service days (such as MLK Day, G.I. Bill Civilian Service Option September 11th, and Make a Difference Day) are ideal Research shows that civilian service is a tested for engaging individuals across programs for special strategy for successful reintegration of veterans, and projects. veterans have a strong desire to serve at home.14 State and local leaders can also play a critical role in Following the lead of the Mission Continues, America identifying non-profits, college and universities, and Forward, and ServiceNation, we propose that civilian other institutions within their states and communities service be recognized as an option under the GI Bill that could become certified national service benefits to provide veterans with opportunities to organizations. continue their service on the home front and additional transition time and pathways to education and jobs. We believe the availability of such a system would Specifically, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and inspire many creative new programs and efforts for Labor, in cooperation with the Corporation for National full-time national service by leveraging the and Community Service, should work to create a entrepreneurial nature of the Millennial Generation, the civilian service option under the GI Bill to enable potential for new technology, and the growing and veterans across America to serve with nonprofit increasingly dynamic non-profit sector. The launch of organizations in their communities. this new platform would be accompanied by public outreach with a view toward attracting organizations More than two million Americans have served in the and individuals, as well as funding for positions and military since 9/11 and more than one million will leave scholarships. It should result in new resources for military service in the next five years, with large national service, building on the strong public-private numbers of them struggling to re-integrate into civilian partnership already found in AmeriCorps, and life.15 Mental and physical health challenges are extending to a broader array of programs poised to common, and veterans are far more likely than the engage hundreds of thousands of Americans willing to general population to divorce, commit suicide, or serve. become homeless.16 17 Unemployment continues to be a struggle for many veterans, who often face higher It could also provide the platform for a range of other rates of unemployment than their peers who did not new ideas envisioned by the Franklin Project, including serve.18 the GI Bill Civilian Service Option, referral point for the

18 A Plan of Action

While most veterans have access to benefits designed the GI Bill will address pressing social issues while to aid in veterans’ transitions, including higher helping veterans make the transition to full-time education, on-the-job-training, and apprenticeships employment or continued education. (on-the-job training opportunities provided by employers or unions), many of these benefits are Local organizations, their communities, and the nation underutilized by eligible service members. Alternative would benefit from the time and talents of dedicated pathways, such as a GI Bill Civilian Service option, men and women who have served their nation in the would help veterans use their skills and experience to military and desire to continue this service at home. find their way to successful civilian careers and make a And most importantly, the tens of thousands of citizens commitment to continued education. who have served their country so steadfastly in times of war and want to engage in civilian national service Civilian service is a proven pathway for people of many would have a new option for reintegration into civilian different backgrounds to find direction, skills, and life that would resonate with their commitment to connections that lead to higher education and fulfilling service, their community, and their country. careers. An independent study of The Mission Continues, which provides stipends for post-9/11 Expand Existing Service Programs veterans to serve at home through local nonprofit Fulfill the Promise of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve organizations, found that 71 percent of Fellows have America Act – 250,000 Positions furthered their education, 86 percent of Fellows have transferred their military skills to civilian employment, Led by Senators and Edward Kennedy and 86 percent of Fellows believed the program helped passed with 79 votes in the U.S. Senate and broad them to become a leader within their community, and bipartisan support in the U.S. House of 91 percent of Fellows have taught others the value of Representatives, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve service and were able to sustain a role of service within America Act was signed into law by President Obama 19 their community. in April 2009. The law authorized an increase of AmeriCorps positions from 75,000 in 2009 to 250,000 While the Corporation for National and Community by 2017. If funding had kept pace with the levels Service and governor-appointed state commissions authorized in the law, there would currently be 170,000 have placed a high priority on increasing service AmeriCorps members serving in communities around opportunities for veterans and military families, there the country. The law also authorized the creation of a are still too few opportunities for veterans to serve series of new civilian national service corps that would through programs like The Mission Continues, Team focus the power of national service on solving pressing Rubicon, and VetCorps. Without the financial support public problems. The corps that were envisioned – to serve full time, the vast majority of military service Education, Clean Energy, Veterans, Opportunity, and members who want to continue their service while they Health – mirror the national service corps that are transition to civilian life are unable to do so. outlined in this plan of action. Recognizing civilian service as an option under the GI Notwithstanding bipartisan support, and the half a Bill will ensure that any veteran who desires this million applications to national service programs alternative transition experience could participate at a through AmeriCorps every year, funding for minimal cost to the federal government. The one AmeriCorps has not kept pace with this demand. million veterans returning to civilian life over the next Today there are fewer than 80,000 positions available, five years represent an extraordinary opportunity for about half of which are full-time. In order for the our country. Defining a civilian service benefit under

19 A Plan of Action country to meet the goal of providing one million to support efforts that can make our world more national service positions every year, the federal peaceful and stable. The Civilian Response Corps government must fulfill the promise of the Serve brings together specially trained civilian federal America Act with support for 250,000 AmeriCorps employees and state and local volunteers who are positions, including the issue-based corps that were equipped to rapidly deploy to fragile countries in order authorized. The Congress and Obama Administration to prevent conflict or assist in stabilization efforts. The should start meeting this commitment by growing U.S. Department of State and partnering agencies AmeriCorps to 100,000 participants a year in 2014. should continue to increase the capacity of the corps to respond based on international demands. Mobilize 100,000 Volunteers to Serve Abroad Global Service Fellowships: Building on progress in After the successful first year of the Peace Corps, funding new Global Service Fellowships with private President Kennedy said that the Peace Corps would sector support, publicly supported Global Service be truly serious when 100,000 Americans were Fellowships should be created to mobilize 10,000 serving abroad every year – with one million over a volunteer fellows each year for up to one-year decade. The result would be a more informed foreign assignments to help build the capacity of non- policy, while helping nations in need and showing the government organizations and faith-based institutions world the service ethic of the American people. working in the developing world to help solve global America has yet to realize this vision and can do more problems. In addition, programs like Global Citizen to enable more Americans to serve abroad by Year should be expanded. expanding the Peace Corps, Volunteers for Prosperity, and the Civilian Response Corps, and by Dedicated Public and Private creating Global Service Fellowships. Support for National Service

The Peace Corps: The Peace Corps should nearly Funding for large-scale national service will require double its ranks from 8,000 in 2013 to 15,000 robust support from all sectors — federal, state, and volunteers by 2017 and continue to forge partnerships local governments, corporations and private with other volunteer-sending and international philanthropy, and individuals. AmeriCorps, which development organizations to maximize their leverages approximately $400 million annually in non- contribution to the host country and leverage CNCS matching funds for local and national additional funding. programs, demonstrates the potential of these public- private partnerships. While no single funding stream Volunteers for Prosperity: Volunteers for Prosperity will be able to create and support one million positions should expand from its present 43,000 highly-skilled per year, a combination of the following proposals can professionals to 75,000 Americans each year add to the existing support for civilian national service. recruited and deployed for flexible-term assignments through a network of U.S. nonprofits that work in the Federal, State, and Local Governments developing world on urgent problems, such as HIV/ AIDS, malaria, education, clean water, and helping Despite, and even because of, today’s tight fiscal entrepreneurs start local businesses, in each case by climate, Congress should increase appropriations for serving through the Volunteers for Prosperity’s Serve national service opportunities through the Corporation Program. for National and Community Service, the Peace Corps, and other federal national service programs, Civilian Response Corps: Civilian national service given the high return on investment. This funding has by youth can equip a generation with the experience enabled more than 800,000 Americans to serve in

20 A Plan of Action

AmeriCorps and more than 210,000 to serve in the • National Service Challenge Fund: Federal Peace Corps throughout their histories. Congress and investments in national service are currently the President should continue to provide the necessary leveraged by the private sector through matching funding to these agencies to create the 250,000 funds, which has been critical to the success of positions called for in the Serve America Act and reach national service programs around the country. To the goal of 15,000 Peace Corps volunteers, 75,000 build on this support, the private sector can also Volunteers for Prosperity, and 10,000 Global Service lead. The President and Congress should issue a Fellowships, annually. public challenge to America’s private sector community to increase its support for national In addition to the traditional appropriations process, service with the knowledge that such additional there are other ways governments and the private support will leverage increased federal funding. sector can support growth in national service: One example of this challenge fund was the proposed Centennial Challenge Initiative at the • Lottery Funds: Forty-three states and the District National Park Service, in which the private sector of Columbia operate state lotteries and some generated more than $100 million in support for states participate in multi-state lottery partnerships. over 300 parks projects and the operating budget A portion of most of these lotteries goes to support for the National Park Service had one of its largest state programs, including education, environmental increases in recent history. protection, and crime control, to name a few. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, states raise Corporate and Private Philanthropy more than $18 billion that are used at their discretion.20 State policymakers should explore Corporate, philanthropic, and other non-federal opportunities to dedicate a portion of these lottery organizations have been strong supporters of national funds to support national service positions to help service programs in communities around the country. It address their state and local challenges. should be noted that the Corporation for National and Community Service has the authority to solicit and • Voluntary Tax Contributions for National accept donations of money, property, and services, Service: Forty-one states currently give residents providing a significant opportunity to increase the ability to donate additional funds when they pay collaboration and partnership with corporate and their taxes to support specific programs. In philanthropic organizations. California alone, more than 290,000 residents voluntarily contributed nearly $100 million in 2011 • Community Reinvestment Act: Depository to support programs ranging from breast cancer institutions such as banks are encouraged by the research to youth civic engagement.21 States Community Reinvestment Act to help meet the should create a voluntary tax contribution option to credit needs of the communities in which they provide additional support for national service operate, including low-and moderate-income programs. In addition, the federal government neighborhoods. Investments in community should create a voluntary tax contribution option for national service programs can be included in their federal taxpayers to contribute funds to expand periodic evaluations. The Corporation for National national service programs and remind all and Community Service and the federal agencies Americans of their opportunity and duty to serve that oversee depository institutions (the Federal their nation. Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the

21 A Plan of Action

Office of Thrift Supervision) should encourage certification system, providing nonprofit and public partnerships between national service organizations the ability to diversify their funding organizations and financial institutions. pool and spread awareness about their programs. Additionally, the existing authority should be Using this tool, individuals could also help raise broadened to include certified national service support to fund their own national service organizations. positions.

• Community Foundations and Local • Philanthropic challenge grants can serve as Corporations: Given the contribution that national additional leverage to encourage crowd-funding service organizations can make to the local support from individual donors. Recently, The community, partnerships should be developed Skoll Foundation, in partnership with The among local governments, community foundations, Huffington Post, issued a JobRaising Challenge to local businesses, and philanthropists to enable an help put Americans back to work. The JobRaising increase in national service efforts to help meet Challenge offered a prize of $150,000 to the local needs. Local funding collaboratives should nonprofit that crowd-funded the largest amount of be established to support expanding more money during the challenge period. That support opportunities for local national service from Skoll leveraged more than $1.2 million in organizations and participants. private donations to organizations around the country.24 Citizen Support for Service • Paying it Forward for Service: Some of the Americans are generous – both with their time and greatest advocates for national service are the money – and national service organizations have been individual program alumni who collectively number and continue to be recipients of that support. Despite more than one million. Like alumni of colleges and the recent recession, in 2011, charitable giving in the universities, they can also become strong financial United States reached $298 billion, supporting causes supporters of national service programs. Given ranging from education to public benefit their unique authority to receive gifts, the 22 organizations . We should explore the following Corporation for National and Community Service, methods for individuals to become further engaged: the Peace Corps, and certified national service programs should establish such funds for program • Crowd-funding and National Competitions: alumni, beneficiaries, and supporters to donate to Over the last few years, technology advances and support national service opportunities for future growth of social media platforms have enabled generations. new opportunities for individuals to directly fund programs and causes about which they care. Pathways to Engage More “Crowd-funding” has become a significant funder of arts, civic engagement projects, businesses, Americans in National Service and other projects around the world. In 2012, Every year, the country is turning away hundreds of individuals pledged $2.7 billion to more than one thousands of Americans who are asking for million crowd-funding campaigns, an 80 percent opportunities to serve their communities and country. 23 increase over 2011. With a broader service infrastructure in place, we must also reach out to a more diverse population. This will Models like Kickstarter and Donors Choose could require building more pathways to service, engaging be engaged to support the national service

22 A Plan of Action

youth and young adults of all backgrounds, through the civic engagement as it draws participants from proposals included here and many other pathways to across social divides and exposes participants and service. host communities to different ideas and attitudes.

Bridge Year of National Service • Colleges’ receptivity: Colleges and universities are already under pressure to retool their model by We propose asking colleges and universities to including better connections between experiential recognize a “bridge year” of service as a highly valued and academic learning to produce graduates and prestigious pathway for students as they finish prepared for careers and lives of active citizenship. high school, before they enter higher education, or as They are seeking creative opportunities to do so – they transition to their careers. including service learning. Colleges and universities are also increasingly supportive of the The path into college is an untapped opportunity to “bridge year” concept, recognizing that it helps to establish new norms that will benefit many young address the higher education challenges of: 1) people who need a break from classroom learning and college readiness; and 2) the post-secondary are looking for the hands-on experiences national school burnout experienced by many college service offers. The greater maturity of incoming entrants academically exhausted by the race to get students who have performed a year of service will into college. Bridge year experiences and improve the academic experience for participating programs yield more mature students with broader students, their professors, and their peers. Through perspectives and enhanced capacity to appreciate admissions processes, financial aid, credit conferral, and take full advantage of the opportunities and graduation requirements, colleges and universities available to them on college campuses. possess instruments to shape behavior and expectations. Of the roughly 3.1 million American high There are several ways that colleges and universities school graduates each year, 2.1 million go directly to can support this proposal, depending on their college (only 1.3 million go directly to a 4-year college). organizational and student needs, including providing Colleges and universities can be significant venues to credit to students for their year of service, offering enlist one million young adults in service every year. tuition incentives or enrollment preference for national service participants, or creating service opportunities • Opportunity for host community and receiving for incoming students who defer for a year in order to organizations: The bridge year of service would participate in a “bridge year”. Global Citizen Year is an increase the availability of valuable human capital example of a bridge year organization forging a new – the time and talents of young national service educational pathway for emerging leaders by participants – to fill gaps in service delivery at a partnering with colleges and universities. modest cost and help increase the capacity of organizations to meet their core missions. They Building a year of service into a young person’s can apply their talents and youthful perspective to transition from high school to higher education and youth mobilization/motivation efforts as well as to a career can change expectations and establish civilian range of entry-level responsibilities, whether in the national service as a rite of passage, tap the idealism U.S. or in overseas assignments addressing needs and energy of young Americans to help solve our most in education, environmental conservation, natural pressing challenges. It can also improve the intellectual disaster mitigation/recovery efforts, and many focus, maturity, and dedication of incoming college other areas. The exchange associated with a students, while augmenting their employability during bridge year of service advances social mobility and and after college.

23 A Plan of Action

Reconnecting Opportunity Youth of recruiting, training, and retaining Opportunity Youth in Through National Service service. Providers of service opportunities should themselves be diverse with representation from a range Opportunity Youth – young people age 16-24 who are of socioeconomic backgrounds and degrees of not connected to education or employment – often educational attainment. benefit from participating in national service. Evaluations of programs such as Public Allies, YouthBuild, and National service by Opportunity Youth represent an service and conservation corps, point to the powerful inflection point to fortify diverse pathways from exclusion effect full-time national service can have on a population to opportunity. Additional ideas include: that often has limited access to pathways of opportunity. Scaling up national service in the United States requires • Leverage Federal Work Study and other resources us to ensure that as it grows, those who have the to support service-based efforts that build capacity chance to serve include individuals who have not yet and skills to encourage persistence in successfully transitioned through school and into a postsecondary education, particularly for low- career. income young adults who enroll in, but never complete, community college. Many in higher Too often, Opportunity Youth do not experience a education do not feel a connection to their successful rite of passage into adulthood. Full-time community and campus, or need additional national service, which provides opportunities to meet resources. Encouraging colleges and universities to pressing community challenges, has proven invaluable explore more work-study options for Opportunity for developing tenacity and grit, and creating pathways Youth to do service, as the successful Jumpstart to self-confidence, self-sufficiency, education, and program does, is important and valuable. employment for thousands of motivated young people. • Scale up successful, comprehensive education and For the nearly one million young people who exit high workforce development programs, like the school without a degree every year, national service can YouthBuild program administered by the U.S. provide pathways to re-connect to education, the Department of Labor and National Guard Youth workforce, and society, while achieving a broader ChalleNGe Program that utilizes service as a key community impact. component of dropout prevention and recovery. These young people should not be viewed only as Through these types of service programs, clients of service, but as producers of service and participants acquire the education, training, life assets to their communities. AmeriCorps has provided skills, and self-discipline necessary to succeed as tens of thousands of Opportunity Youth with the chance productive citizens. to make an impact through their service, get on an • Identify and pursue legislative opportunities and educational and career pathway, and perhaps most federal initiatives that could be utilized to better importantly become active citizens and role models in engage Opportunity Youth through service- communities that need their service and leadership. opportunity providers such as the Workforce Investment Act, Elementary and Secondary We propose that the Corporation for National and Education Act, Higher Education Act, Carl D. Community Service, the governor-appointed state Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, commissions, and national service organizations STEM, and initiatives within federal departments. continue to expand opportunities for Opportunity Youth to participate in national service and highlight strategies • Reform the Job Corps so that it reflects the civic to scale up programs that have a demonstrated record pathways evident in YouthBuild and Youth Corps

24 A Plan of Action

programs. experience fosters and develops skills that are critical to employers, including hard skills (e.g. project • Support an increased investment in service management or corps-specific competencies like land learning and work experience programs through management or youth development) and soft skills the Workforce Investment Act’s Youth Formula and (e.g., leadership, empathy, teamwork, and Youth Innovation Funds. persistence). Broad societal recognition of the value of • Support national service programs at community service – both to the country and individual – is key to colleges that help young people move from the effort to bring national service to large scale. remedial to degree-track work and help these young people advance toward degrees, community We propose working with employers – including private leadership, and greater job-readiness. and nonprofit sector and government – to help them tap a dedicated, well-trained pool of civically engaged A Talent Pipeline through National talent. Service • Improve the Path to Careers in Civil Service: National service has been a transformative experience The Peace Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA for the more than one million participants during their members who have satisfactorily completed their terms of service. These service members have service earn non-competitive eligibility for federal invested their own time and talent to address pressing jobs for one year after their service. This special community challenges. As alums, they often continue eligibility can help federal employers streamline to support the communities in which they serve and their hiring process, tap into highly qualified grow as leaders in their field. Likewise, as they Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and VISTAs, continue to contribute after their service year, the and fill vacancies faster and more efficiently. nation can support their growth as leaders. By doing Through an Executive Order, the President can so, we are presented with the dual opportunity of extend non-competitive eligibility to individuals who supporting alums as leaders while building leadership have served the nation through full-time service in of the sector that is representative of a 21st century AmeriCorps, FEMA Corps, the AmeriCorps America. National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), and other eligible national service experiences. As we build more pathways for Americans to engage in Additionally, state and local governments should service, expanding the “after service” pipeline realizes consider offering similar preferences for national the long-term and lifelong benefits of national service service participants who served in their states or and increases incentives for others to follow. communities. Expansion of service opportunities – and a continued investment in the pipeline of national service alums – • Hiring National Service Alumni: We support provides a critical means to meet national challenges, AmeriCorps Alums’ efforts to spearhead a as well as showcase national service’s role in building campaign that will celebrate public, private, and stronger students, better employees, and more civically nonprofit employers who actively support the engaged citizens. recruitment, hiring, and professional development of national service alums. Employers would benefit Employers of Service by participating in “Employers of Service” both by recruiting and hiring from a highly qualified and National service alums can help meet an important diverse pool of employees, and by joining a group need facing our economy. The national service of employers who recognize and reward the value

25 A Plan of Action

of national service and the leadership development form a consortium. of traditionally under-represented populations to companies, communities, and our nation. The Public Service Academy is a new approach to develop future servant leaders who advance Higher Education for Service interagency and multi-sector solutions to public problems. Inspired by the Reserve Officer Training National service should be seen as a positive factor on Corps model of leadership development, the academy the candidate profile sought by colleges and universities will augment the traditional undergraduate experience - and is treated as such by many colleges and with courses, experiential programming, and career universities today. Institutions of higher education have development designed to prepare collaborative leaders an opportunity to recognize the value of national of character. Preference will be given to applicants who service, and the contributions that it makes to a student have completed a full-time national service program body and academic achievement, through policy and such as City Year, Public Allies, YouthBuild, or the research that supports the value of national service. National Guard Youth Challenge.

• Higher education institutions can make higher The academy experience will begin prior to the start of education more affordable by expanding the scope the fall semester with a summer orientation and of incentives they offer national service alumni. leadership camp that will introduce students to the This recognition is of particular importance for values and expectations of the academy and foster alums who are the first in their family to enroll in cohort cohesion. Students will then embark on an postsecondary education. It could include matching intensive four-year program that includes one academy the value of the Segal Education Award provided to course each semester, mentorship, retreats, leadership AmeriCorps participants who complete their term of opportunities, service experiences, and career planning. service or participation in the Paul D. Coverdell Each year, students who complete the required Fellows Program (formerly known as Fellows/USA) programming will receive funding for a summer for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers as many are internship in the business, nonprofit or government already doing. sectors. • Universities can also support an expanded research National Center on Service and agenda that can assess the impact that national Innovative Leadership service has on individuals who serve – and their job readiness, educational attainment, and civic The growth of the national service field will demand the engagement. development of leaders at every level – a need that can be addressed through the new National Center for Public Service Academy Service and Innovative Leadership, housed at the Presidio of San Francisco. In 21 historic buildings From our Founding Fathers to recent Members of arranged on a campus of 25 acres, the Center will host Congress, America’s leaders have called for a Public education, research, convening, and recognition Service Academy to help prepare our next generation programs rooted in a distinctive cross-tradition, cross- for public service leadership. We support building a sector approach. While programs will be data driven, consortium of colleges and universities to create academically rigorous, and tied to measurable campus-based public service training programs for outcomes, the Center will focus on creating a dynamic students. Arizona State University will pilot the first environment where experiential learning and practice academy and identify like-minded partner universities to will be paramount.

26 A Plan of Action

• A new education program will offer multi-day, young people’s commitment to the country. We residential leadership development opportunities propose that the military recruiting system should for emerging and current social purpose leaders. inform all recruits who are ineligible for service how Course curriculum will focus on equipping these they can apply to serve through a civilian national leaders with the tools and approaches necessary service program. In addition, by establishing a year of to navigate a multi-sector world, adapt to new national service as a common expectation and demands to generate social returns, and facilitate common opportunity for all young Americans, we effective collaborations focused on high impact expect that more young people will also consider social change. joining the military as a way to serve our country. • A research program will focus on identifying ways A Lifetime of Service to share the history, leadership development tactics, and best practices from all traditions of Although the Franklin Project is focused on service, and evaluate promising and emerging establishing a year of service as a civic rite of passage models for cross-tradition social impact work. for all young Americans ages 18 to 28, we recognize • A convening program will build the Center into a the increasing value and impact of older Americans vibrant community of nationally focused partners in who choose to perform “encore service.” And by residence from various traditions of service, encouraging all young people to perform at least a year establishing Fort Scott as an innovative hub of of full-time national service, those habits of the heart activity for meetings, events, and educational will be developed and will lead to many more ultimately activities offered by mission-aligned partners. deciding to perform “encore service” in their later years, thus further contributing to our country’s ability to solve • A recognition program will lift up promising cross- problems. tradition leaders, leadership development activities, and community solutions as inspirational examples Similarly, although our focus in the Franklin Project is to follow. The recognition program housed at the full-time national service by young Americans, age 18 center can include a national hall of fame for to 28, we recognize the importance of service by service to honor corps members and connect them elementary and secondary school students, through to the long tradition of service in America. school-based service-learning or through youth initiatives in the community and with non-profit Fort Scott at the Presidio can also provide an ideal site organizations engaged in service to the community. for swearing in and graduating classes of national For many, if not most, young people, such youth service corps members across the United States. service and youth leadership in the early years is their Military Recruitment and Civilian introduction to the power of service at all ages. The spread of service-learning in schools across the National Service country and the growth of the Global Youth Service Day in America and around the world, not just for one The military relies on a dedicated pool of young day of signature joint service but as a day of Americans to volunteer to serve in the branches of our commitment to year-round service, is a good reason Armed Forces. Yet, as a result of poor education, poor we are optimistic that the rising generation is ready for health, or behavior, nearly 75 percent of the nation’s a year of full-time service as a common rite of passage 17-24 year olds are ineligible to serve.25 While these to active-duty citizenship. standards are necessary to ensure we have a military at full readiness, we should not fail to recognize these

27 The Case for National Service

The conversation on national service often views military and civilian service as two separate and distinct concepts, rather than as components of a broad spectrum of service, ranging from military, to government or public service, to full-time or part-time national service, to traditional volunteering. Expanding our understanding of national service to include both military and civilian service, a key aim of the Franklin Project, will require a robust public-private partnership. Individuals, the private sector, higher education, the faith community, philanthropy, and nonprofit organizations, in addition to the military and other existing government programs, must work together to make a full year of national service a common expectation and opportunity for all Americans.

Over the last 80 years, America has developed a returning from war to helping communities rebuild after strong federally supported civilian national service natural disasters and promoting health and wellbeing, system that engages individuals of all ages and and preserving the nation’s parks and public lands. backgrounds in tackling critical problems facing the nation. The earliest national service porgrams date AmeriCorps was structured as a public-private back to the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps partnership that leverages significant non-federal in 1933 and the launch of the Peace Corps in 1961, funding from businesses, foundations, and other followed by Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) sources. It typically provides a living allowance and and the Senior Corps. The creation of the first White education awards (scholarships or loan repayment) to House Office of National Service in 1990 and the those who serve. The Corporation for National and Commission on National and Community Service in Community Service works with governor-appointed 1991, greatly expanded through the creation of state service commissions who select grantees for AmeriCorps in 1993, and strengthened by the state and local national service positions, awards and establishment of the USA Freedom Corps after monitors grant funds, place VISTAs, administer the September 11, 2001 and the bipartisan Serve America National Civilian Community Corps, provide oversight Act in 2009, successive Administrations of both parties and accountability, measure performance, and operate have invested in national service as a cost-effective a trust fund to administer the education scholarships. strategy to engage citizens, meet local needs, In addition, the Corporation for National and strengthen communities, and increase civic Community Service provides leadership nationally and participation. within the federal government in support of national On the domestic front, the Corporation for National and and volunteer service, working with Congress and the Community Service has worked hand-in-hand with White House, building national identity, leading national thousands of local partners, providing leadership, days of service, conducting research, building cross- resources, coordination, focus, and accountability for sector partnerships, and strengthening America’s these efforts. AmeriCorps and Senior Corps service and volunteer infrastructure. participants are serving at more than 70,000 locations Since its inception in 1993, more than 800,000 across the country, taking on the most pressing Americans have served in AmeriCorps, providing more challenges facing America from educating students for than one billion hours of service and earning more than the jobs of the 21st century and addressing the needs $2.4 billion in education scholarships. AmeriCorps of military families and a new generation of veterans members provide vital support to thousands of

28 The Case for National Service

organizations -- food banks, homeless shelters, could expand significantly. However, they operate community health clinics, youth centers, veterans independently and are not connected to a larger service facilities, schools, universities, and other national service system. community organizations. AmeriCorps members recruited and helped manage more than four million National Service is a Smart Public volunteers last year, boosting the impact of the Investment nonprofit and faith-based organizations in which they serve. National service is a high return on investment. Naitonal service participants provide for their In the international arena, for over half a century, the communities many important services in sectors such Peace Corps has supported more than 210,000 as education, health, and civic infrastructure. Many Americans serving in 139 countries around the world. studies have found that the economic value of these These volunteers have worked on issues ranging from services is by itself sufficient to justify their costs. AIDS and malaria education to information technology and environmental preservation and as teachers in But national service has even greater value. It is an schools. The Peace Corps has three primary goals: investment – building human and social capital that helping the people of interested countries in meeting lasts into the future. National service programs are vital their need for trained men and women; helping in giving young adults productive competencies, promote a better understanding of Americans on the human capital, and social skills that will persist into part of people served; and, helping promote a better adulthood. These effects are particularly strong for understanding of other people on the part of disadvantaged youth who may lack educational or Americans. labor market opportunities.

Together, these two agencies – the Corporation for A study by commissioned by the National and Community Service and the Peace Corps Franklin Project and Voices for National Service found – support thousands of national service participants that when viewed as an investment, national service and volunteers each year. Applications for these yields a high return both for the participant and for service opportunities supported by these agencies far society. Researchers calculated the total costs – outstrip the available supply. Similarly, demand by including public and leveraged funds – of national organizations that want to offer AmeriCorps positions service programs for youth, seniors, and the full significantly exceeds the supply of AmeriCorps grant economic benefits of these programs – including both funds, with funding available to approve only one in five the value of the services provided and the longer-term AmeriCorps grants requested last year. Increased value to the participants, to taxpayers, and to society. federal funding and private sector partnerships could They found that the benefits of national service significantly expand these programs and enable them programs substantially exceed the costs of supporting to be more effective. national service programs for young adults and seniors. The economic benefits of national service for Outside of these federal programs, a burgeoning youth are at least four times greater than the costs of movement led by social entrepreneurs, higher providing these programs. Programs for seniors also education institutions, innovative nonprofits, yield high returns that significantly exceed their costs.26 multinational organizations, and forward thinking companies have added greatly to the mix of “service Expanding national service programs is an even year” opportunities available to Americans. These smarter public investment. Researchers found that, as positions number in the thousands, are growing, and national service programs increase in scale, their

29 The Case for National Service average cost falls but their average benefit rises. The communities weather economic downturns. This is result is that programs are likely to have even higher important to young people under 25 years old who are returns if they enroll more participants.27 experiencing unemployment rates of 16 percent – more than double the national average. Extended periods of Service as a Rite of Passage youth unemployment can resut in lower future earnings, increased student loan default rates, and National service is not only a benefit to country and delays in marriage or purchasing a home. A young community; it has a transformative power on the person unemployed for six months can expect to earn individuals who serve. Regardless of personal history, $22,000 less over the next decade.31 or place of service, national service has been a rite of passage for many Americans. Through their service, Participation in national service programs can also they gain valuable personal and professional skills and encourage future civic engagement and volunteering. a deeper connection to communities and the country. AmeriCorps members reported that their national service experience made it “more likely” or “much more For most Americans, the concept of service is limited to likely” that they would participate in community service the less than half of one percent of our population who in the future. Sixty-three percent of AmeriCorps State serve on active duty in our Armed Forces, although we and National members and 78 percent of AmeriCorps also note that there are tens of thousands of National Civilian Community Corps members reported Americans who serve in full-time civilian national that they volunteered in the last two years, compared service programs every year as well. Yet for many of to the national average of 26 percent at the time.32 those in uniform, their service does not end when they Similarly, more than half (55 percent) of all RPCVs return to civilian life. A national survey of veterans reported that they volunteer in their local communities, from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi more than double the national average.33 Freedom found that more than 90 percent of veterans agreed that service to their community was important This long-term ethic of service and volunteering can to them and that service was a basic responsibility of also influence national service members’ decisions every American.28 later in life, preparing them for an encore service experience. For those older service members who Similarly, AmeriCorps Alums and Returned Peace volunteer at an encore stage of life, the impact of Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) both experience significant service is no less meaningful. Research clearly personal and professional development as a result of suggests that volunteering positively affects a person’s their terms of service. More than 90 percent of RPCVs physical and mental health and their life satisfaction. A said that Peace Corps service changed their lives. It study of older adults found that the effect on a person’s significantly influenced their professional decisions, health is due to the sense of accomplishment one with 60 percent reporting that their service influenced gains from a volunteer experience.34 their choice of careers.29 For many alums, service in AmeriCorps programs serves as a pipeline to careers Americans Support National Service in public service. Approximately 80 percent of members reported that their service exposed them to In order to understand the attitudes and beliefs of new career options, with 60 percent of alumni reporting American voters, a nationally representative survey they worked with a public service organization.30 was conducted in March 2013 to test various ideas relating to national service, the public’s understanding Civic engagement and service can be a bridge to of it, and various policies and ideas that the Franklin employment in hard times, helping individuals and Project is developing.35

30 The Case for National Service

A strong majority (61 percent) of voters react favorably allowance and education award. Support is high across to the term “national service,” while only nine percent of all subgroups: 88 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of voters express unfavorable views of the term. “National Independents, and 74 percent of Republicans support service” means a variety of things to voters (nearly all voluntary national service. of them positive), including “military/troops who protect our freedom,” “providing a service to our country,” and While solid support exists for voluntary national “volunteering through giving your time and talents.” service, 71 percent oppose (and 52 percent strongly oppose) a system of mandatory national service. Voters also possess positive attitudes toward specific concepts associated with national service, including Voters Strongly Believe National Service Benefits “volunteering” (90 percent favorable), “community the Country service” (89 percent), “military service” (86 percent), Voters believe national service would be beneficial in “public service” (74 percent), and “civilian service” (73 addressing specific challenges, including: percent). • Assisting military families and veterans in adjusting back into civilian life (93 percent); Voters Believe National Service Could Meet • Providing mentors or tutors for students in low- Pressing Needs in the Country performing schools to help keep them on track (91 The vast majority of voters say our country should be percent); doing more in areas where national service could have • Helping communities prepare for and respond to a real and lasting impact, which include the following: emergencies and disasters (91 percent); • Fostering individual responsibility for improving our • Helping clean up rivers, parks, and blighted public communities & country (86 percent); areas (91 percent); and • Giving young people more ways to earn money to • Providing job training & career advice to low- pay for college (83 percent); income Americans (90 percent). • Developing employment pathways that can help prepare individuals for professional jobs where Strong Majorities of Voters Support the Policy there are currently shortages (83 percent); Proposals Relevant to The Franklin Project Plan • Promoting citizen involvement in solving our country’s most pressing problems (81 percent); Voters favor a range of policy ideas to expand national service, including many that are part of this Plan of • Making sure there are work and learning Action: opportunities for students after high school & college (79 percent); and • Nearly four out of five (79 percent) support creating • Helping young people out of school & work a system modeled on President Roosevelt's reconnect to education and work (78 percent). Civilian Conservation Corps; they favor setting up programs that focus on specific needs, such as an Voters Strongly Favor Voluntary National Service, Education Corps to help students; a Health Corps But Oppose Mandatory to expand access to health services; a Green Four in five voters (80 percent) support voluntary Corps to clean up rivers, parks, and blighted areas; national service in which people of all ages would be and a Rapid-Response Reserve Corps to respond given opportunities to serve America in a military or in to local and national disasters; a civilian capacity for one year and receive a living

31 The Case for National Service

• Nearly four out of five (78 percent) support meet community needs; and amending the current Selective Service System so • Nearly six out of ten (59 percent) support creating that every American -- both men and women –- a national service academy modeled after military age eighteen or older registers and receives academies like West Point to encourage more civic information about opportunities to serve in the leaders by educating and training people who plan military or in a civilian-national service capacity; to be involved in public service. • Three-fourths (75 percent) support encouraging Despite Voters’ Concerns with Government nonprofit organizations, colleges, universities, and Spending, the Vast Majority Support Increased faith-based institutions to join a national service Funding for National Service system by offering positions for Americans to serve for a year through their respective organizations; • When told that more than 600,000 Americans apply to programs such as AmeriCorps and the • Nearly three-fourths (74 percent) support creating Peace Corps, but more than 80 percent (half a a bridge year for service, in which young adults million people) are turned away each year because would complete a full year of national service either there are not enough positions, 76 percent of between high school and college or between voters say increasing public funding to enable college and entering the work force; more Americans to serve in a civilian national • Seventy-one percent support amending the GI Bill service program would be worth it. to permit veterans to use a portion of their GI Bill • Seventy-one percent of registered voters would benefits to support their performing a full year of support increased public funding for civilian civilian national service; national service if it were part of a public-private • Seventy percent support creating a full year of partnership in which increased public funds were service as an encore year for older Americans with matched with contributions from the private sector. twenty or more years of work experience to help

32 National Service to Address National Challenges

America continues to recover from the recent recession, requiring many government and nonprofit organizations to ask how they can have a greater impact with increasingly limited resources. Whether it is addressing the high school dropout crisis, re-integrating veterans into civilian life, protecting the environment, responding to natural disasters, alleviating childhood hunger, or improving the health of Americans, national service can be a powerful part of the solution. For some of these challenges, we have identified the size of the challenge and the potential opportunity for large-scale national service to help meet those needs.36

National Challenge: The High School Nearly half of America's dropouts come from more Dropout Epidemic & A Quality than 2,000 of America's lowest performing high schools.41 Research shows that a person’s record of Education attendance, behavior and course performance in reading and math in middle school is highly predictive Providing all of America’s children with high quality of whether students will drop out from high school.33 education is critical to the economic and civic health of Teams of national service participants in hundreds of our country. Numerous national service programs low-performing schools across the nation are working work in the area of education and are demonstrating cooperatively with teachers to provide the tutoring, the power of national service from helping educate mentoring, and peer supports, in addition to other children in preschool to helping young adults succeed critical wraparound supports to keep more students in in college. While there are many facets to America’s school and on track to graduate. Their services are so education challenge, the high school dropout epidemic highly valued that schools and districts are making in the United States is one targeted and fixable these national service programs a priority in their own problem that national service can address. Nearly one budgets, in addition to the small investment that the million young people do not graduate from high school country makes in them. with their class every year with huge consequences to them and to society.37 Dropouts are much more likely The larger picture is also encouraging. After decades than their peers who graduate to be unemployed, living of stagnating high school graduation rates and the in poverty, receiving public assistance, in prison, on consequences of dropout, reform efforts at the local, death row, have poor health, divorced, and single state and national levels are starting to pay off and the parents with children who themselves drop out from nation is, for the first time, on pace to meet the national high school themselves.38 goal of a 90 percent high school graduation rate by the Class of 2020.42 Some states and school districts have Our communities and nation also suffer due to the loss made double-digit gains in graduation rates over the of productive workers and revenue and the higher last decade, providing insights on the elements of costs associated with increased crime, drug abuse, success.43 Graduation gaps, however, among student incarceration, health care and social services. If we populations – including minorities, students with limited were to cut the dropout rate in half for just one class of English proficiency, and students with disabilities – are dropouts, it would save the nation $45 billion.39 Former so large in some states and communities and the pace national security advisors have made the case that the of progress is so uneven across the states that these failure to educate so many of our young people also weaknesses threaten our ability meet our national threatens our national security, ignoring potential talent goal.44 that could keep our country strong.40

33 National Challenges

The scale of the need is clear – there are millions of increasing property values. Outdoor recreation students in the nation's low-performing high schools contributes $646 billion annually to the U.S. economy, and their feeder elementary and middle schools that supports nearly 6.1 million jobs, and generates nearly are at risk of dropping out of high school over a four- $80 billion in annual federal, state, and local year period if they do not get the supports they need to revenues.46 stay on track. Teams of national service participants, working in partnership with strong school leadership, Unless we act now to save these places; ensure that reform efforts, and high quality teachers, and all Americans have access to clean, healthy, safe and prompting the use of early warning data and inviting public and tribal lands, waters, and open intervention systems to provide the right supports to spaces; and instill a sense of ownership and the right students at the scale and intensity required, stewardship for all our natural resources in the current could help ensure that more students graduate and we and upcoming generations, some of these lands – and stay on track to meet our national goal. The the multitude of benefits they provide to all Americans Corporation for National and Community Service and – may be lost forever. Multiple federal land its partners are currently deploying about 30,000 management agencies have a combined $60 billion in 47 AmeriCorps members every year to work on education backlogged maintenance needs, and state and local 48 through programs like the School Turnaround parks have $18 billion in unmet needs, leading to AmeriCorps and organizations including Communities unsafe and even closed trails, campgrounds, parks in Schools, Citizen Schools, City Year, Jumpstart, and and playgrounds. More than half of our nation’s Teach for America, among others, with nearly one- waterways are in poor condition for aquatic life, having fourth (26 percent) of “persistently lowest achieving” an impact on our drinking water, recreational schools having at least one national service participant opportunities and economy. engaged on campus.45 Increasing the number of Many of the parks, particularly state parks, we use national service participants to 120,000, would enable today were built by Franklin Roosevelt’s Civilian a team of at least ten national service participants to Conservation Corps in the 1930s. In a ten-year be placed in every single dropout factory school and period, 3 million young, unemployed men planted 3 their feeder middle and elementary schools. billion trees, provided proper drainage and prevented National Challenge: Endangered soil erosion on 84 million acres of land, and built more than 800 parks. Today’s service and conservation Places corps currently enroll between 15,000-20,000 young men and women of all backgrounds every year to Our nation's public and tribal lands, waterways and complete important projects in parks, forests and local open spaces – from Yellowstone National Park to communities. A recent federal advisory committee Congress Heights Playground in Anacostia, D.C. – recommended that service and conservation corps and the many individual, community, and societal increase to 100,000 corps members per year by 2018 benefits they provide, are increasingly becoming through a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps in inaccessible and unavailable to millions of Americans, a public-private partnership, to meet the demand in particularly those residing in urban and low-income communities and by young people to work in national, communities and in neighborhoods of color. These state, local, and urban parks, and forests and along public lands, waterways and open spaces clean our coastlines and waterways across the country. air, purify our water, absorb pollution, prevent floods and erosion, and provide habitat for diverse species of As part of the proposed 21st Century Conservation wildlife and for recreation. Our parks also tell Service Corps, 100,000 national service participants America’s story. These resources also promote should restore these places to their natural state or economic development by encouraging tourism and intended purpose. These members, particularly those investment, supporting retail, creating jobs, and residing in urban and low-income communities and

34 National Challenges

neighborhoods of color, could restore and create military to meet the needs in their local communities. places in their own communities to provide all residents with access to the many benefits of clean, healthy, safe Veteran reintegration is not just a challenge for our and inviting public and tribal lands, waters and open nation. It is a great opportunity. It is an opportunity to spaces, while at the same time developing the next – bring all Americans into service – veterans and non- and more diverse – generation of land managers, veterans alike. Models of how national service may environmental stewards, committed citizens and improve our veterans’ success in transitioning home healthy Americans. Research shows that corps currently exist and are succeeding. At The Mission members outpace their peers in community Continues, where veterans engage in an intensive 6- engagement, leadership, self-responsibility, teamwork, month term of community service, 86 percent of and intention to pursue a career in natural resource participants report that their continued service was a management. positive life-changing experience, 82 percent report that their service improved their chances of getting a National Challenge: Re-Integration of job, 86 percent successfully translated their military Veterans skills to civilian skills, 71 percent furthered their education during their term, and 91 percent claim that Over the next five years, more than one million military they will continue to serve as leaders in their 51 service members will return to civilian life, joining community. nearly 2 million veterans who have transitioned out of Just as The Mission Continues is showing the value the military during the last decade of conflict. After that veterans can bring to their communities through returning home, many veterans still face unique service, Give An Hour is showing the value that challenges – ranging from significant VA benefit communities can bring to veterans by asking mental backlogs, unemployment and underemployment, health professionals nationwide to donate an hour of homelessness, substance abuse, relationship their time each week to provide free mental health problems, PTSD, and even suicide, all at rates that services to military personnel, veterans and their often exceed the general population. These are families. In addition, Team Rubicon – a service serious problems not only for the millions of veterans organization deploying veterans to work on disaster and their families seeking new lives back home, but for relief – is demonstrating the power of mobilizing all a future America seeking to recruit and maintain a Americans through veteran-led relief campaigns. As military that can ensure our nation’s security. demonstrated in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Civilian service on the home front is one answer to response of veteran volunteers to the disaster was successfully re-integrate our nation’s veterans. The immediate, effective, and inspiring and bridged the gap All-Volunteer Force report indicates that 92 percent of between veterans and civilians to deploy them together veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan agreed that to meet pressing community needs. Finally, the community service is important to them, and that Corporation for National and Community Service has service is a basic responsibility of all Americans.49 The launched a new partnership with the National Guard study also showed that veterans who engaged in Bureau and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of civilian service when they returned to the United States America called VetCorps. This initiative will place had much better transitions home than those veterans AmeriCorps and VISTA members in communities to who did not.50 Furthermore, the report showed that help returning veterans and their families access veterans were motivated to meet community needs critical service and support – ranging from social, across a broad spectrum of issues, from caring for mental, and physical health services to housing and other veterans to responding to disasters to mentoring employment assistance. youth to assisting the elderly. Accordingly, veterans With proposed flexibility in the GI Bill, as described indicated they can find renewed meaning and purpose earlier, to permit veterans to use their existing benefits in the reapplication of their motivations to serve in the

35 National Challenges to participate in national service, at least 50,000 lunch and breakfast before the start of the school day. veterans could be engaged. An additional 50,000 civilians and military family members could also be By focusing on the 95,000 schools participating in the engaged through other national service programs to national school lunch program, leveraging the existing meet the needs of the nation and support veterans and national service infrastructure (VISTA, AmeriCorps, military families. Senior Corps), and creating new service opportunities dedicated to this challenge, national service could help National Challenge: Childhood Hunger end childhood hunger. A national service response fits well with this opportunity to help end childhood hunger Childhood hunger is a significant problem in the U.S. by increasing the capacity of schools to take advantage with more than 16 million children living in households of existing mandatory federal nutrition programs. A that are food insecure, meaning that they struggle to well-trained national service member could provide the 52 put food on the table and achieve adequate nutrition. business planning expertise, best practices on effective Hunger impacts many other serious problems faced by service models, and communications expertise to help children, including academic success and health. schools expand their meal offerings. Ensuring that children have three healthy meals per day will improve the nation’s high school graduation While models like Food Corps illustrate how national rate and reduce the number of overweight and obese service can be part of the solution to childhood hunger, children (currently one in three children is overweight significant efforts are needed to scale these programs or obese). Obesity and failing to graduate from high to reach those who could benefit. It is estimated that school are two of the leading reasons that young one full-time national service participant could help people cannot join the military.53 build capacity in up to four schools per year, meaning that every eligible school could be included in one year As Share Our Strength has argued, childhood hunger with nearly 25,000 full-time national service is a solvable problem. Improved access to school participants. meals like breakfast can contribute to improved test scores and attendance rates, which in turn lead to National Challenge: Opportunity Youth higher graduation rates and improved long-term and Poverty economic success.54 Students who eat school breakfast attend an average of 1.5 more days of school Today, about 17% of 16- to 24-year olds are out of per year and score 17.5 percent higher on math tests, school and out of work. They cost taxpayers $93 billion 55 and are 20 percent more likely to finish high school. dollars every year and $1.4 trillion over their lifetimes in In addition, increased consumption of school meals lost productivity and increased social services.56 They can have positive health effects. For example, children also represent an opportunity for the nation to tap the who eat breakfast see fewer chronic illnesses and talents of millions of potential leaders and productive healthier body mass index. Childhood hunger can be workers at a time when America’s skills gap is eliminated with three healthy meals a day in the places significant. While these youth face significant life where they learn, live, and play by maximizing the use challenges, most start out with big dreams and remain of the existing federal entitlement nutrition programs. confident or hopeful that they can achieve their goals; Expanding the use of these existing resources also most accept responsibility for their futures; and most creates additional jobs and brings new money into local are looking to reconnect to school, work and service. communities. Using the federal nutrition programs, Remarkably, nearly 70% report that they want to serve schools can offer three meals a day during the school in their communities, but only three percent are doing year and at least two meals a day during the summer so, showing the barriers that are in place. months, and each of these meals is reimbursed by the federal government. Many schools lack the capacity to National service presents an opportunity to put these take advantage of all these opportunities and only offer young people into productive service meeting

36 National Challenges

community needs, while also putting them back on a implemented fully by 2014, quality outcomes such as path to reconnect to school and work. Programs such preventable hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations will as YouthBuild, Public Allies, and The Corps Network, be monitored and navigation services will be needed to provide many opportunity youth with the chance to ensure these measures improve and lead to long term improve their communities while gaining critical health care cost reductions. education and workforce skills. Other national service programs provide services to opportunity youth to help Last year, the Center for Strategic Planning, Policy and 61 them get back on track to success. Data Analysis Group provided insight into the impact avoidable hospitalizations have on the health care National Challenge: Improving the system. Research shows that 26% of all Health of Americans hospitalizations for dual eligibles (people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid) may have Healthcare can be defined as the prevention, treatment, been avoidable, either because the condition could and management of illnesses and the preservation of have been prevented, or because the condition could mental and physical well-being through services offered have been treated outside of a hospital. Reducing the by medical, allied health, and social services number of hospitalizations would improve care for professions. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation beneficiaries and likely lead to a meaningful decrease has identified a simpler phrasing: “Health starts where in Medicare spending. Research also found that just we live, learn, work and play.”57 Unfortunately, five conditions accounted for over 80% of potentially managing one’s healthcare for millions of working avoidable hospitalizations: congestive heart failure, families continues to be an uphill battle: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/asthma, pneumonia, dehydration, and urinary tract infections. • More than 10 million working families in the United These illnesses were the leading conditions for dual States live with incomes less than 200% of the eligibles of individuals not within a nursing facility, or Federal Poverty Level ($44,700 for a family of four within the community. in 2011) and nearly a third of working families are The opportunity to build on successful national service struggling to meet basic needs despite their hard work.58 models like the Community HealthCorps or the National Health Corps (an original AmeriCorps grantee that grew • Nearly one-quarter of working-age adults – an out of the U.S. Department of Health and Human estimated 43 million – reported that they and/or Services) can offer an immediate springboard for their spouse had lost their job within the past two growing Healthy Futures programs as outlined in the years, according to the Commonwealth Fund, and Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The longevity nearly half of those reporting recent unemployment of programs like these have allowed millions of lost their health insurance.59 medically underserved children and families gain • The uninsured – who now number around 50 access to health care, manage chronic illnesses, and million – are more likely than those with health improve overall health. Coordination with HHS is coverage to live in a household that is having essential to ensure national service participants are difficulty paying basic monthly expenses such as aligned with agency-wide collaboratives and delivering rent, food, and utilities. on system-wide impacts that are already being tracked and measured (i.e., reducing the number of uninsured, Chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, and their underlying causes such as obesity improving clinical outcomes in key chronic illnesses, and tobacco use, affect more than 130 million reducing the unnecessary use of ERs for primary care, Americans – nearly half the population – and account and sharing of the most up-to-date health promotion for 75% of U.S. health care spending, or $1.5 trillion and education resources). annually.60 Additionally, as the Affordable Care Act is

37 Conclusion

Every person who comes of age in America should be challenged to serve and contribute something to the country. The Franklin Project envisions a time when a year of national service for every young American becomes the expectation, the norm, the rite of passage that puts them outside their comfort zones and changes their lives forever. Such a rite can harness the talents and imagination of generations to understand and solve our country’s toughest challenges.

The 21st Century National Service Summit in Aspen, Colorado will launch the effort to fulfill the promise for large- scale national service, secure commitments to implement the plan, and engage leaders from a variety of backgrounds, communities, and sectors. Through the work of the Franklin Project’s Millennial Working Group, we will help mobilize the millennial generation to support universal national service, highlight the demand for national service among the country’s youth, and spotlight exemplars from the field.

With these efforts, we can imagine a day when a year of national service in our culture is as common an expectation as someone graduating from high school or college, registering to vote, getting a driver’s license, or participating as a member of a family and community. America’s democracy was built on the belief that we need citizens, not spectators; doers, not observers; and generations who step forward over the course of their lives to serve their nation. It is time to fulfill that vision through this commitment to universal national service.

Acknowledgments

Many individuals and organizations have shared their time, talent, and expertise to develop this Plan of Action. We offer our sincere thanks to the members of our Leadership Council who informed and endorsed the Plan. We also want to thank the many leaders who participated in our forums, working groups, and other conversations, including the Leadership Council, Policy Council, Millennial Working Group, Military Convening, and the Next Generation of Service Convening. We would also like to thank the The Aspen Institute's Forum for Community Solutions and the Energy and Environment Program and all of the staff at The Aspen Institute for their ongoing support of the Franklin Project.

This work would not be possible without the energy and enthusiasm of the Franklin Project team, including Sam Ayres, Adam Coretz, Fagan Harris, Tess Mason-Elder, Laura McNulty, and Megan Walker. Special thanks to the staff, fellows, and interns at Civic Enterprises, including Mary Bruce, Jamila Cobb, Alison Courtney, Kyle Potanieck, Lily Rubino, and Elizabeth Rosenberg.

Finally, the Franklin Project stands on the shoulders of the leaders and participants in the national service movement who have been in the trenches, changing lives and communities, for decades.

38 Endnotes

1. Putnam, R. (2000) Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival Service. Washington, DC: Civic Enterprises. of American Community. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster; Bridgeland, J.M. (2012). Heart of the Nation. Washington, 10. Belfield, C. (2013) The Economic Value of National Service. D.C.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. New York, NY: Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. 2. Pew Research Center. (2011).The Military-Civilian Gap: War and Sacrifice in the Post-9/11 Era. Retrieved from http:// 11. This report was informed by the work and ideas of many www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2011/10/veterans-report.pdf. writers, including Khazei, A. (2010) Big Citizenship: How Pragmatic Idealism Can Bring Out the Best in America. 3. The most recent public data shows that AmeriCorps Jackson, TN: PublicAffairs; Bridgeland, J. (2012) Heart of programs reported receiving 582,000 applications in 2011. the Nation: Volunteering and America’s Civic Spirit. Corporation for National and Community Service (2012). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield; Wofford, H. (1992) Of AmeriCorps week marked from coast to coast [Press Kennedys and Kings. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Release]. Retrieved from http://www.nationalservice.gov/ Pittsburgh Press. newsroom/press-releases/2012/americorps-week-marked- coast-coast. 12. Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2012). Fact Sheet: Innovative Cost-Saving Partnership to Strengthen 4. The 2,000 lowest performing high schools include 1,400 Response and Expand Opportunities for Young People. dropout factories with a promotion power of less than 60 Retrieved from http://www.fema.gov/fema-corps. percent. Balfanz, R, Bridgeland, J, Bruce, M, & Fox, J.H. (2013). Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in 13. Sagawa, S. (2013) Service as a Strategy: A Guide for Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic - 2013 Annual Public Agencies. Washington, D.C.: Center for American Update. Washington, D.C.: America's Promise Alliance, Progress. Alliance for Excellent Education, Civic Enterprises, & Everyone Graduates Center. Retrieved from http:// 14. Bridgeland, J., and Yonkman, M.M. (2009). All Volunteer www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/Building-A- Force: From Military to Civilian Service. Washington, D.C.: Grad-Nation-Report-2013_Full_v1.pdf. Civic Enterprises. Retrieved from http:// www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/ 5. Bridgeland, J., and Yonkman, M.M. (2009). All Volunteer all_volunteer_force.pdf. Force: From Military to Civilian Service. Washington, D.C.: Civic Enterprises. Retrieved from http:// 15. Miles, D. (2012, March 30). Shinseki vows to support www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/ members, vets. American Forces Press Release. Retrieved all_volunteer_force.pdf. from http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx? ID=67784. 6. Augustine-Thottungal, R., Kern, J., Key, J., & Sherman, B. (2013). Ending Childhood Hunger: A Social Impact Analysis. 16. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association. (2009). Invisible Washington, D.C.: Deloitte, LLP and Share Our Strength. Wounds: Psychological and Neurological Injuries Confront a Retrieved from http://www.nokidhungry.org/pdfs/school- New Generation of Veterans. Retrieved from http://iava.org/ breakfast-white-paper.pdf. files/IAVA_invisible_wounds_0.pdf.

7. Belfield C., Levin, H., & Rosen, R. (2012) Economic Value of 17. National Coalition for the Homeless. (2009). Homeless Opportunity Youth. Retrieved from http:// Veterans. Retrieved from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/ www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/ factsheets/veterans.pdf. econ_value_opportunity_youth.pdf. 18. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). Employment Situation of 8. Wu, S. and Green, A. (2000) Projection of Chronic Illness Veterans Summary. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ Prevalence and Cost Inflation. RAND Corporation, October news.release/vet.nr0.htm. 2000. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Disease Overview page. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/ 19. Matthieu, M. M., Smith, I. D., McBride, A. M., & Morrow- overview.htm. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services. Howell, N. (2011). The Mission Continues: Engaging Historical Overview of National Health Expenditures. post-9/11 Disabled Military Veterans in Civic Service (CSD Retrieved from http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics- Research Brief 11-25). St. Louis, MO: Washington Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/ University, Center for Social Development. NationalHealthExpendData/ NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.html. 20. U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). U.S. Census Bureau reports state government revenues decline nearly 31 percent [Press 9. Civic Enterprises (2013). Voters for National Service: Release]. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/newsroom/ Perspectives of American Voters on Large-Scale National releases/archives/governments/cb11-03.html.

39 21. California Franchise Tax Board-Voluntary Contribution Fund 32. Abt Associates. (2007). Serving Country and Community: A Totals. (1982-2011). https://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/vcfsr/ longitudinal study of service in AmeriCorps. Independent reports/VCF_totals.pdf. Organization Report, Washington, D.C.: Corporation for National and Community Service. Retrieved from http:// 22. Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the year www.nationalservice.gov/ 2011 (2012). Chicago: Giving USA Foundation. pdf/06_1223_longstudy_report.pdf.

23. Massolution (2013). 2013CF: The Crowdfunding Industry 33. Bridgeland, J. et al. (2011) A Call to Peace: Perspectives of Report. Retrieved from http:// Volunteers on the Peace Corps at 50. Washington, D.C.: research.crowdsourcing.org/2013CF-Crowdfunding- Civic Enterprises. Retrieved from http:// Industry-Report#oid=1001_8_banner_13. www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/ a_call_to_peace.pdf. 24. JobRaising Challenge. http://www.crowdrise.com/jobraising 34. Dietz, N., Grimm, R. Jr., & Spring, K. (2007). Corporation for 25. Christeson, W. et al (2012). Ready, Willing, and Unable to National & Community Service: The Health Benefits of Serve: 75 Percent of Young Adults Cannot Join the Military. Volunteering. http://www.nationalservice.gov/ Washington, D.C. Mission: Readiness. pdf/07_0506_hbr.pdf.

26. Belfield, C. (2013) The Economic Value of National Service. 35. Civic Enterprises (2013). Voters for National Service: New York, NY: Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education, Perspectives of American Voters on Large-Scale National Teachers College, Columbia University. Service. Washington, DC: Civic Enterprises.

27. Belfield, C. (2013) The Economic Value of National Service. 36. Danzig, R. (1986). National Service: What Would it Mean? New York, NY: Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education, Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. Teachers College, Columbia University. 37. Stillwell, R. and Sable, J. (2013). Public School Graduates 28. Bridgeland, J., and Yonkman, M.M. (2009). All Volunteer and Dropouts from Common Core of Data: School Year Force: From Military to Civilian Service. Washington, D.C.: 2009-10: First Look (Provisional Data) (NCES 2013-309). Civic Enterprises. Retrieved from http:// U.S. Deparment of Education. Washington, DC: National www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/ Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http:// all_volunteer_force.pdf. nces.ed.gov/pubs2013/2013309.pdf.

29. Bridgeland, J. et al. (2011) A Call to Peace: Perspectives of 38. Bridgeland, J. et al. (2006). The Silent Epidemic: Volunteers on the Peace Corps at 50. Washington, D.C.: Perspectives of High School Dropouts. Washington, DC: Civic Enterprises. Retrieved from http:// Civic Enterprises in association with Peter D. Hart Research www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/ Associates for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. a_call_to_peace.pdf. Retrieved from http://www.ignitelearning.com/pdf/ TheSilentEpidemic3-06FINAL.pdf. 30. Abt Associates. (2007). Serving Country and Community: A longitudinal study of service in AmeriCorps. Independent 39. Belfield, C., and Levin, H. (2007). The Economic Losses Organization Report, Washington, D.C.: Corporation for from High School Dropouts in California. Retrieved from National and Community Service. Retrieved from http:// http://cbcse.org/wordpress/wp-content/ www.nationalservice.gov/ uploads/2013/03/2007-Levin-Report.-The-economic-losses- pdf/06_1223_longstudy_report.pdf. fron-high-school-dropouts-in-california.pdf.

31. Mroz, T., and Savage, T. (2006). The Long-Term Effects of 40. Rice, C. and Klein, J. U.S. Education Reform and National Youth Unemployment. The Journal of Human Resources, Security. http://www.cfr.org/united-states/us-education- 41 (2), 259–293. Retrieved from http://www.unc.edu/depts/ reform-national-security/p27618. econ/ papers/04.02mroz_savage_youth_unemployment_july_200 41. The 2,000 lowest performing high schools include 1,400 5_to_JHR.pdf; Gregg, P., and Tominey, E., (2005). The dropout factories with a promotion power of less than 60 Wage Scar From Male Youth Unemployment. Labor percent. Balfanz, R, Bridgeland, J, Bruce, M, & Fox, J.H. Economics, 12 (4), 487–509. Retrieved from http:// (2013). Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in ideas.repec.org/p/bri/cmpowp/04-097.html; Kahn, L., (2010). Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic - 2013 Annual The Long-Term Labor Market Consequences of Graduating Update. Washington, D.C.: America's Promise Alliance, from College in a Bad Economy. Labor Economics, 17 (2), Alliance for Excellent Education, Civic Enterprises, & 303–316. Retrieved from http://mba.yale.edu/faculty/pdf/ Everyone Graduates Center. Retrieved from http:// kahn_longtermlabor.pdf. www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/Building-A-

40 Grad-Nation-Report-2013_Full_v1.pdf. Functioning. Arch Pediatric Adolescent Med 152: 899-907. Boston, MA: Massachusetts General Hospital, Child 42. Ibid. Psychiatry Service and Harvard Medical School. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9743037. 43. Ibid. 55. Augustine-Thottungal, R., Kern, J., Key, J., & Sherman, B. 44. Ibid. (2013). Ending Childhood Hunger: A Social Impact Analysis. Washington, D.C.: Deloitte, LLP and Share Our Strength. 45. Ibid. Retrieved from http://www.nokidhungry.org/pdfs/school- breakfast-white-paper.pdf. 46. Outdoor Industry Foundation (2012). The Outdoor Recreation 56. Belfield, C., Levin, H., and Rosen, R. (2012). The Economic Economy. Boulder, CO: Outdoor Industry Associates. Value of Opportunity Youth. Washington, D.C.: Civic Available at http://www.outdoorindustry.org/pdf/ Enterprises for the Corporation of National and Community OIA_OutdoorRecEconomyReport2012.pdf. Service and the White House Council on Community Solutions. Retrieved from http://www.civicenterprises.net/ 47. This figure is based on various sources: Carter, N and Stern, MediaLibrary/Docs/econ_value_opportunity_youth.pdf. C. (2011) Army Corps Fiscal Challenges: Frequently Asked Questions. Available at http://planning.usace.army.mil/ toolbox/library/Misc/ 57. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2010). A New Way to R41961_Corps_fiscal_challenges-11Aug.pdf; Talk About the Social Determinants of Health: Health starts where we live, learn, work and play. Retrieved from http:// www.rwjf.org/vulnerablepopulations/product.jsp?id=66428. 48. National Park Service (2012). 2012 Annual Report: Funding and Protecting Park Where You Live. Washington, D.C.: U.S. 58. Roberts, B., Povich, D., & Mather, M. Great Recession Hits Department of Interior. Available at http://www.nps.gov/lwcf/ Hard At America’s Working Poor: Nearly 1 in 3 Working LWCF%20Annual%20Report%202012_final Families in United State Are Low-Income. The Working Poor %20%281%29.pdf Families Project. Policy Brief. Winter 2010-2011. Retrieved from http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/pdfs/policybrief- 49. Bridgeland, J., and Yonkman, M.M. (2009). All Volunteer winter2011.pdf. Force: From Military to Civilian Service. Washington, D.C.: Civic Enterprises. Retrieved from http:// 59. Collins, S.R, Doty, M.M., Robertson R., Garber, T. (2011). www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/ Help on the Horizon: How the Recession Has Left Millions of all_volunteer_force.pdf. Workers Without Health Insurance, and How Health Reform Will Bring Relief New York, NY: The Commonwealth Fund. 50. Ibid. Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/ Files/ 51. Matthieu, M. M., Smith, I. D., McBride, A. M., & Morrow- Surveys/2011/1486_Collins_help_on_the_horizon_2010_bien Howell, N. (2011). The mission continues: Engaging post-9/11 nial_survey_report_FINAL_31611.pdf. disabled military veterans in civic service (CSD Research Brief 11-25). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for 60. Wu, S. and Green, A. (2000) Projection of Chronic Illness Social Development. Prevalence and Cost Inflation. RAND Corporation, October 2000. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic 52. Augustine-Thottungal, R., Kern, J., Key, J., & Sherman, B. Disease Overview page. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ (2013). Ending Childhood Hunger: A Social Impact Analysis. nccdphp/overview.htm; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Washington, D.C.: Deloitte, LLP and Share Our Strength. services. Historical Overview of National Health Expenditures. Retrieved from http://www.nokidhungry.org/pdfs/school- Retrieved from http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data- breakfast-white-paper.pdf. and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/ 53. Christeson, W. et al (2012). Ready, Willing, and Unable to NationalHealthExpendData/ Serve: 75 Percent of Young Adults Cannot Join the Military. NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.html. Washington, D.C.: Mission: Readiness. Retrieved from http:// d15h7vkr8e4okv.cloudfront.net/NATEE1109.pdf. 61. Center for Strategic Planning, Policy, and Data Analysis. Group Policy Insight Report: Dual Eligibles and Potentially 54. Murphy, J.M. (2007). Breakfast and Learning: An Updated Avoidable Hospitalizations. Retrieved from http:// Review. Journal of Current Nutrition and Food Science 3.1: www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/ 3-36. Boston, MA: Massachusetts General Hospital, Child Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Reports/downloads// Psychiatry Service and Harvard Medical School. Retrieved Segal_Policy_Insight_Report_Duals_PAH_June_2011.pdf. from http://www.benthamscience.com/cnf/sample/cnf3-1/ D0002NF.pdf; Murphy, J. M., et al. (2008). The Relationship of School Breakfast to Psychosocial and Academic

41 About The Aspen Institute & The Franklin Project

At the in June 2012, General Stanley McChrystal received an overwhelming response to his call for large-scale civilian national service to engage more Americans in serving community and country. The Aspen Institute established the Franklin Project in response to this call to action, to marshal the best case for a voluntary civilian counterpart to military service in the United States.

The Franklin Project’s vision is to establish a year of full-time national service as a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans ages 18 to 28. Our goal is to create one million annual opportunities for civilian national service, on par with the number of Americans serving on active duty in our Armed Forces. We seek to dramatically expand opportunities for young Americans to contribute their strengths, knowledge, and entrepreneurial energy to solving our nation’s most pressing challenges, in areas such as education, health, food security, environmental conservation, veterans’ reintegration, and economic opportunity.

The Franklin Project seeks to unite leading Americans from all sectors alongside citizens at the grassroots in calling for and building this new vision of civilian national service. We propose to fuel the citizen service movement in America by making the case for a year of national service to become a new civic rite of passage that will bind members of generations to each other and to our nation, while enlisting them to work together to address great national challenges.

We are focusing on developing a 21st century architecture for national service that builds off of and strengthens the existing system, while promoting new policy ideas to advance the national service movement. Our work has encompassed a series of gatherings of critical stakeholders and the publication of seminal papers at The Aspen Institute; briefings for the White House, Congress and governmental leaders; the development of the Franklin Project Plan of Action; and an action-inspiring Summit leading into the Aspen Ideas Festival in June 2013, followed by a public campaign to be launched in the fall of 2013.

42 Jonathan and Jeannie Lavine Laura & Gary Lauder

The MCJ Amelior Foundation